Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength on Monday as it neared Jamaica, with up to 76 centimetres of rain and a life-threatening storm surge.

Melissa is forecast to make landfall on the island on Tuesday, and cross Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday.

Melissa was centred about 205 kilometres south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 505 kilometres south-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 260 kilometres per hours and was moving west at six km/h, the centre said. WATCH | Jamaicans stocking up ahead of slow-moving storm:

Hurricane Melissa now Category 4, could become Category 5 12 hours ago | Duration 0:57 Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a major Category 4 hurri

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