Hurricane Melissa has intensified to a Category 4 storm, prompting Caribbean countries including Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas to evacuate low-lying areas. Record rainfall is expected, with authorities preparing for floods and landslides.

Hurricane Melissa has developed into a Category 4 hurricane heading towards Jamaica and Cuba and is expected to bring catastrophic floods, landslides and storm surges to the region, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday.

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it churned northwest through the Caribbean Sea on Sunday.

Authorities across the Caribbean opened shelters and evacuated residents from low-lying areas. An ‘unprecedented’ amount of rain was expected through the start of the week.

FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari breaks down Tropical Storm Melissa as the slow moving storm intensifies in the Caribbean.  Millions of people in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are preparing for flooding rain and high winds as Tropical Storm Melissa,