Hurricane Melissa has been upgraded to a Category 5 system, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds reaching 265 kilometres an hour.
The monster storm has begun pounding Jamaica with fierce winds and torrential rain, prompting mandatory evacuations along the coast and fears of catastrophic damage.
At least six people have been killed across the northern Caribbean, including three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, as Melissa tracks toward Cuba and the Bahamas.
Forecasters warn of extensive infrastructure destruction, prolonged power outages and up to 300 millimetres of rain when the storm hits Cuba late Wednesday.
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