According to the forecast, it will then move across southeastern Cuba on Wednesday morning and across the southeastern or central Bahamas later on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are 280 km/h (175 mph), with higher winds. Melissa is a Category 5 hurricane in the Saffir-Simpson Range, and little change in intensity is expected, the center warns.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 km (28 mi) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 315 km (195 mi).

Kingston International Airport, Jamaica, reported a sustained wind speed of 69 km/h (43 mph) and a gust of 93 km/h (58 mph).

The agency warns that Melissa will bring rainfall of 15 to 30 inches to parts of Jamaica and additional rainfall of six to 12 inches to southern Haiti through Wednesday, with local maximum storm totals of 40 inches possible.

Catastrophic and numerous flash flooding will also occur, and mudslides are likely.

For eastern Cuba, rainfall totals of 10 to 20 inches are forecast, with local amounts of up to 25 inches through Wednesday, resulting in potentially catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding with numerous mudslides, the report warns.

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