Tropical Storm Melissa has become a hurricane and is expected to strengthen into at least Category 4 intensity, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday. The rapidly intensifying storm is expected to wreak havoc across the Caribbean with catastrophic floods,

Hurricane Melissa is on track to rapidly strenghten and could become a major Category 5 hurricane, according to the NHC, Saturday, Oct. 25.

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a major Category 3 hurricane, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica.

Melissa is expected to strengthen even further into a major catastrophic hurricane when making landfall in Jamaica.

Jamaican leaders are warning residents to take Hurricane Melissa seriously as the powerful storm moves closer to the island, threatening damaging winds, flooding and landslides.

Hurricane Melissa was cutting a deadly path through the Caribbean on Sunday, strengthening into a Category 3 storm as it crawled along a worryingly slow course toward Jamaica and the

Life-threatening flooding, landslides and storm surge are expected in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola as Melissa continues to strengthen.

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to bring days of heavy rain to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica and may trigger life-threatening flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center says.