A powerful hurricane called Hurricane Melissa is being classified as a Category 5 storm, and is now bearing down on the northern Caribbean region.

This is posing as a serious threat to Jamaica, and will also impact Cuba and the Bahamas along the way. The storm just hit Jamaica and caused serious flooding situations, prompting emergency response.

This is now labelled as the strongest ever recorded for the island in its 174-year historical data. The NHC has warned of extremely dangerous conditions with life-threatening winds, rain, and flash floods taking center stage.

In Cuba, authorities were evacuating more than 600,000 people in readiness for severe weather, while the Bahamas faced serious rainfall of nearly 13 to 26 cm. There is an immense risk of flash floods and landslides across the board.

Scientists were seen emphasizing on how the storm’s rapid intensification doubled its wind speed in nearly 24 hours. This was linked to unusually warm ocean waters, a pattern increasingly associated to climate change.

In short, Hurricane Melissa was the worst case scenario for the region, which is outlined as a historically intense storm, accelerating at a quick pace, threatening widespread destruction across several islands located in the Caribbean.