Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, has left dozens dead across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.

The weather system made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic category five storm with top winds of 295 kilometres per hour.

It then moved on to Cuba and Haiti, but even countries outside its direct path felt devastating effects.

At least 40 people died in Haiti, Steven Aristil, from Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, told The Associated Press.

He said 20 of those deaths were reported in the southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, where another 10 remain missing.

77 per cent of Jamaica without power

In Jamaica, more than 25,000 people were packed into shelters on Wednesday, after the storm ripped roofs off their homes and left them temporarily homeless.

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