Melissa could become a Category 5 hurricane. If that wasn't enough, flooding and landslides could be widespread from Hispaniola to Jamaica and Cuba. Here's the very latest forecast.

A weather disaster could unfold across Jamaica, southern Haiti and Cuba early next week, as slow-moving Hurricane Melissa is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane by Sunday (local time).

Melissa strengthened into a hurricane southeast of Jamaica and is set to rapidly grow, raising the risk for catastrophic flooding and wind damage across Jamaica and the Caribbean, where the storm has already killed at least four people.

Jamaica's central location in the Caribbean, the island has never recorded a direct landfall from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, according to records from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dating back to 1850.

Tropical Storm Melissa, responsible for multiple fatalities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, is nearing hurricane strength, sparking concerns over severe flooding, powerful storm surges, and extensive wind damage in Jamaica and surrounding regions.

An intensifying Melissa is expected to bring destructive flooding to Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic before tracking toward Cuba next week.