Melissa is expected to bring rainfall of 15 to 30 inches to portions of Jamaica and additional rainfall of 6 to 12 inches for southern Hispaniola through Wednesday, with local storm total maxima of 40 inches possible. Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely, NHC said.

The scale of devastation across Jamaica and Cuba is emerging after Melissa - one of the most powerful Altantic hurricanes to make landfall - barrelled through.