Hurricane Melissa is set to pummel Jamaica today with the island braced for its strongest storm in its history.
Melissa is expected to make landfall early today and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.
Hours before the storm, the government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage with Jamaicans urged to get to higher ground ahead of its arrival.
Follow live Hurricane Melissa updates below
Hurricane experts predict Melissa damage could be on par with Katrina
Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a category five storm on Monday
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Melissa was still 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Kingston late Monday, and reaching maximum wind speeds of 175 miles per hour.
The category five storm - which could be Jamaica's most violent on record - is charting a painstakingly slow path through the Caribbean.
Melissa has already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, three deaths in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
Its heavy rains combined with intense winds could wreak devastation on par with historic hurricanes, including 2017's Maria or 2005's Katrina, which left indelible impacts on Puerto Rico and the US city of New Orleans.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is causing such massive storms to become increasingly common in the region.
Watch: Terrifying footage from the eye of Hurricane Melissa
Footage has emerged from the eye of Hurricane Melissa after a specially adapted plane operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) flew into the center of the storm.
Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm Monday as it drew closer to Jamaica, where forecasters expected it to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage after it makes landfall some time on Tuesday.
At that strength, it would be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began in 1851.
Footage shot in the hurricane's eye show the eerie calmness with clear blue, sunny skies up above, while the thick cloudy eye wall can be seen swirling around in the distance.
At one stage, as the aircraft makes a turn around the eye, the stormy waters of the Caribbean Sea can be seen churning thousands of feet below.
Prime Minister makes eerie warning about category five storm
Prime minister Andrew Holness has said Jamaica's infrastructure is unable to withstand a category five storm as Hurricane Melissa barrels towards the island.
The storm was expected to make landfall early on Tuesday and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.
Hours before the storm, the government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage.
Mr Holness said the island's western end faced the worst destruction.
'I don't believe there is any infrastructure within this region that could withstand a Category 5 storm, so there could be significant dislocation,' he told CNN.
'You have been warned': Jamaicans urged to head to higher ground
Jamaican officials urged the public to get to higher ground and shelters ahead of Hurricane Melissa's expected landfall Tuesday, with the prime minister warning it could bring massive devastation
Prime Minister Andrew Holness told a press briefing that the evacuation was about 'the national good of saving lives.'
You have been warned. It's now up to you to use that information to make the right decision.
But despite pleas to evacuate, many Jamaican residents were staying put.
'I am not moving. I don't believe I can run from death,' Roy Brown told AFP in Kingston's seaside area of Port Royal.
The plumber and tiler said he was reluctant to flee because of his past experiences with the poor conditions of government hurricane shelters.
Fisherwoman Jennifer Ramdial agreed, adding: 'I just don't want to leave.'
Hurricane Melissa to batter Jamaica
Hello and welcome to the Daily Mail's live coverage of Hurricane Melissa which threatens to bring chaos and destruction to Jamaica today.
Melissa - a category five storm - is expected to be the strongest to lash the island in its history with the government warning of possible catastrophic damage.
The storm was expected to make landfall early on Tuesday and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.
Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead of the storm, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the clean-up and damage assessment would be slow.
Stick with us for updates throughout the day.
