Hurricane Melissa has been upgraded to a Category 5 storm, with dangerous winds, storm surge and flash flooding expected in Jamaica, forecasters said.

Melissa will make history in Jamaica with landfall today, packing catastrophic flooding, landslides and destructive winds. It will then target eastern Cuba and the southeast Bahamas. Here's the very latest forecast.

People are evacuated to higher ground as US meteorologists warn of "catastrophic" conditions from the category five storm.

The Category 5 storm is the most powerful in the Atlantic Ocean this year. The authorities in Jamaica and Cuba have issued evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.

Melissa will be one of the most devastating hurricanes on record in Jamaica, with widespread flooding, landslides and destructive winds. Flooding rain is also a grave concern in Hispaniola and Cuba. Here's the latest forecast.