Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says Trinidad and Tobago is mobilising immediate assistance to Jamaica, as that country braces for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm and

The storm hit 75 mph winds to attain hurricane status on Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph. Melissa is set to become a major hurricane before the end of the weekend.

Melissa strengthened into a major hurricane and is expected to bring "catastrophic" flash flooding and landslides to Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

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.

Maduro criticized the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the U.S government to fabricate “a new eternal war” against his country.

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.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - With Hurricane Melissa expected to make landfall Tuesday, the Meteorological Service of Jamaica is reminding citizens that a hurricane warning is still in effect for the country. According to the latest bulletin at 7:00 am,

Tropical Storm Melissa lumbered through the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, bringing a risk of dangerous landslides and life-threatening flooding to Jamaica and southern Hispaniola — an island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

At least 19 people have died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon has said, as search and rescue efforts continue and authorities try to get aid to hard-hit areas.