Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane early Monday and was forecast to bring "life-threatening and potentially catastrophic" flash flooding and landslides to Jamaica, the southern parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic and to eastern Cuba over the next few days, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center warned.

As of 11 a.m. ET, Melissa was packing winds of 165 mph. Hurricanes reach Category 5 — the top of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale — when their winds hit 157 mph.

Hurricane Melissa, the 13th named storm of the Atlantic season, isn't expected to have major impacts on the mainland United States , but it's turning into the strongest Atlantic system this season.

Melissa's forecast and path

In the hurricane center's 11 a.m. ET update , Melissa's ce

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