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Melissa has strengthened into a powerful Category 5 hurricane south of the island.
At 4 a.m., the centre of Hurricane Melissa was 205 km south-southwest of Kingston, or 167 km south of Treasure Beach in St. Elizabeth.
Melissa is moving toward the west near 6 km per hour.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica says a slow turn toward the northwest and north is expected Monday, and Monday night, followed by a northeastward acceleration beginning on Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move near or over the island Monday night and Tuesday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 260 km per hour with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast Monday, with some fluctuations in intensity likely before Melissa makes landfall on southwestern Jamaica as a powerful major hurricane early Tuesday.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 45 km from the centre, and tropical storm force winds extend outward 315 km.
Data from Jamaica's Doppler radar show that outer bands of Hurricane Melissa have been moving over mainly southern and eastern sections of Jamaica since Sunday evening and producing periods of light to moderate rainfall.
Hurricane Melissa is expected to produce rainfall amounts reaching 350 to 750 mm over parts of Jamaica in the next few days, especially over central and eastern parishes, with higher amounts over hilly terrain. Catastrophic flash floods and landslides are likely.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to spread over Jamaica on Monday, and hurricane conditions are expected to begin Monday night or early Tuesday.
Life-threatening storm surge, accompanied by large and destructive waves, is likely across the south coast of Jamaica on Monday night and on Tuesday, peaking at 9 to 13 feet above ground level near to and to the east of where the centre of Melissa makes landfall.
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