3 dead in Jamaica as strongest storm of the year approaches

The world's most powerful storm this year, Hurricane Melissa, is drawing closer to Jamaica as it moves northeast through the Caribbean Sea. The storm has already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, and four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, BBC reports.

Jamaica’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, has ordered a mandatory evacuation of low lying areas as the island prepares for Hurricane Melissa to make landfall.

Shelter orders are also in place in the country, and all public schools have been moved online.

The two international airports, Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, have also shuttered, suspending all operations over the weekend.

International aid agencies like the UN World Food Programme are already co-ordinating with the Jamaican government – which says it has an emergency response budget of £25m ($33m).

Forecasters believe it could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica, with winds of 175mph (282km/h) and as much as 101cm (40 inches) of rain.

Melissa was upgraded to a category five, which is the maximum strength, by the US-based National Hurricane Center early on Monday.