The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic.
Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a major Category 4 hurricane, with the possibility of intensifying to a Category 5 storm on Sunday night, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica, the US National Hurricane Center said.
The weather agency added Melissa is likely to reach the southern coast of Jamaica as a major hurricane late on Monday or Tuesday morning and urged people on the island to seek shelter immediately.
