Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, marking what is forecasted to be a devastating weather event, the worst in the country's history.

Melissa underwent extreme rapid intensification over the weekend and continues to strengthen.

Forecasters say the Category 5 storm is likely to cause “catastrophic” flooding, landslides and widespread damage, and the Red Cross warns that up to 1.5 million people may be directly affected.