A rare and catastrophic Category 5 storm is bearing down on Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified over the weekend and is now the strongest storm ever forecast to strike the island nation. It's expected to unleash devastating winds, storm surge and extreme rain, setting off life-threatening flooding and landslides. Follow live updates on the hurricane: https://cnn.it/43GV7m3 | CNN

Hurricane Melissa’s maximum sustained winds have surged to 165 miles per hour (270 km/h), strengthening further as the storm’s outer bands lash sections of southern and eastern Jamaica with torrential rain and powerful gusts. The winds were 160 mph at 7 a.m. Monday. In its 10 a.m. update, the US National Hurricane Center said the Category 5 hurricane, which is south of Kingston, is creeping west at about 3 mph. The hurricane is expected to move directly over the island tonight into early Tuesday