People in Jamaica are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which is forecast to unleash destructive winds and bring catastrophic flooding to the Caribbean nation in the coming hours.
Melissa was upgraded to a category five hurricane - the maximum strength - early on Monday, according to the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The authorities fear that Melissa, which has already been blamed for the deaths of four people on the island of Hispaniola, could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica.
The Jamaican government has ordered evacuations for parts of the capital, Kingston, and the entire island has been classed as threatened. An update from the NHC at 09:00GMT stated that Melissa was about 130 miles (209km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica.
It has maximum sustained wind speeds of 160mph (260km/h) and could strengthen further in the next 12 to 24 hours, forecasters warned. If it continues on the forecasted track, the hurricane's core is expected to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday.
Destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Jamaica overnight or early on Tuesday. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered the immediate evacuation of several vulnerable communities across the island, urging residents in flood-prone areas to seek shelter in safer locations.
As preparations ramp up, all of the island's 881 shelters have been opened. At least three people have died in Haiti, and hundreds of homes have been flooded as Hurricane Melissa continues to bring torrential rainfall to the region.
