KINGSTON, Jamaica – Time has essentially run out for millions of people in Jamaica to prepare for deadly Hurricane Melissa ’s onslaught as the monster storm undergoes “extreme rapid intensification” ahead of its likely catastrophic landfall in the coming days.

According to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Melissa is centered about 120 miles to the south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, making it a monster Category 4 hurricane.

The NHC said strengthening is expected to continue, and the storm will likely become a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane as it creeps closer to Jamaica.

Melissa claimed at least three lives in the Dominican Republic last week as the storm stalled in the Caribbean, lashing Hispani

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