MAJOR Hurricane Melissa is the strongest storm on the planet right now! One of the ways to measure the strength of hurricanes is barometric pressure. As of the latest update, Melissa’s barometric pressure is an astonishing 896 mb,

Catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is rapidly approaching Jamaica, causing island-wide supply shortages and stranding tourists, with dangerous conditions also expected for parts of Cuba.

Tropical Storm Melissa continued its slow slog across the Caribbean Sea on the morning of Oct. 25, and forecasters said the storm is expected to rapidly intensify over the next 24 hours, potentially powering up to a Category 4 or 5 hurricane with winds over 150 mph.

Melissa strengthened into a major hurricane and is expected to bring "catastrophic" flash flooding and landslides to Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Melissa is undergoing extreme rapid intensification and is a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds Sunday morning. The US National Hurricane Center expects it to strengthen into a rare Category 5 hurricane tonight.

The Category 5 storm made landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope with estimated maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and an estimated minimum central pressure of 892 millibars.

Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope with estimated maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and an estimated minimum central pressure of 892 mb, the National Hurricane Center said.

Once described as a tropical paradise, the coastal town of Black River, Jamaica, is now being compared to “hell on Earth” after being ravaged by Hurricane Melissa.