A US Air Force squad known as the Hurricane Hunters has flown through the eye of Hurricane Melissa, which is packing winds of 282 kilometres per hour as it moves slowly towards southern Jamaica.

The category five hurricane is forecast to make landfall on Tuesday morning local time and is expected to be the strongest to hit the island nation since record-keeping began in 1851.

The US Air Force Reserve's 53rd weather reconnaissance squadron flew through the system's eye on Monday to collect vital data for the National Hurricane Centre (NHC).

The NHC has labelled the hurricane "catastrophic" with forecasts of unprecedented winds, up to three feet of rain and widespread destruction, exacerbated by the storm's slow movement over warm Caribbean waters.

Hurricane Melissa is carrying sustained

See Full Page