The storm was forecast to dump up to 25 inches of rain over Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica as it continues to strengthen this weekend.

Melissa underwent extreme rapid intensification, strengthening to a rare Category 5 with winds of 175 mph and stronger gusts, making it the strongest storm on the planet this year. Follow for live updates.

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Caribbean, is set to hit Jamaica early on Tuesday after undergoing “rapid intensification” — a climate-charged phenomenon that’s increasingly sending devastating storms to the region.

Dozens of people were already in shelters in the Dominican Republic, and schools, businesses and government agencies were closed.

Why meteorologists are so concerned about Tropical Storm Melissa when it becomes a hurricane near Jamaica, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba.

Best-case scenario: “The best-case scenario for Florida would be if Melissa moves over eastern Cuba or Hispaniola and then gets pulled out to sea. That would spare Florida from impacts, though it would likely bring life-threatening and possibly catastrophic flooding to parts of Hispaniola, eastern Cuba, and the Dominican Republic."

A tropical storm watch is now in effect for Jamaica as there is the potential for a tropical cyclone to form in the central Caribbean later Tuesday. This means that tropical storm conditions could pose a possible threat to Jamaica within 48 hours.

Winds gusting, waves crashing, and flooding are hitting several coastal towns as a powerful nor’easter pounds the Jersey Shore. Mother Nature’s wind-swept fury has

Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday morning. Melissa is moving very slowly, so it will bring a deluge of rain to Jamaica, with totals forecast to reach 15 to 30 inches and even up to 40 inches in localized areas.