Hurricane Melissa threatens catastrophic flooding in Jamaica and Haiti, meterologists warn

Meteorologists have warned that Hurricane Melissa, which is sustaining Category 4 strength, may get stronger and cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.

According to the US National Hurricane Centre, Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica early Tuesday, then cross Cuba into the southeastern Bahamas through Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Centre said Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 233 km/h on Sunday as it moved westward, generating waves of 3 metres.

Officials warned that some communities in Jamaica may not survive the "catastrophic" flash floods that could occur from some 38-76 centimetres of rain in Jamaica and the southern Caribbean's second-largest island, Hispaniola, by Wednesday.

Expected to make landfall in Jamaica on Monday evening or Tuesday morning, Hurricane Melissa is forecast to become a Category 5 hurricane, making it the strongest storm on record for the Caribbean island nation, according to Evan Thompson, the Director General of the Meteorological Service.

Residents are bracing up with precautions

In response, some residents of Jamaica began to take precautions and tried to stock up on adequate food to weather the storm.

Desmond McKenzie, who is leading the Jamaican government’s disaster response, said all the more than 650 shelters in Jamaica are open.

Officials said earlier that warehouses across the island were well-stocked and thousands of food packages pre-positioned for quick distribution if needed.

Meanwhile, US forecasters say Melissa's intensity may decrease before it hits eastern Cuba Tuesday night, where it could bring some 30 centimetres of rain, and then the Bahamas on Wednesday.

A hurricane warning was issued by the Cuban government for the provinces of Holguin, Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Granma. Additionally, it issued a tropical storm alert to the Las Tunas province.

At least four people were killed by Melissa in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic over the weekend.