Kingston [Jamaica], October 26 (ANI/WAM): Hurricane Melissa rapidly strengthened into a major Category 3 hurricane as it unleashed torrential rain in the northern Caribbean and threatened catastrophic flooding and landslides in Jamaica and southern Haiti.

US forecasters warned that the slow-moving Melissa is expected to strengthen further and be a major hurricane when making landfall in Jamaica early next week. It should be near or over Cuba by the middle of the week.

'I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously,' said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. 'Take all measures to protect yourself.'

Melissa was centred about 125 miles (200 kilometres) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 280 miles (455 kilometres) west-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, late Saturday night. It had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and was moving west at 3 mph (6 kph), the hurricane centre said.

Melissa was expected to drop torrential rains of up to 30 inches on Jamaica and southern Hispaniola - Haiti and the Dominican Republic - according to the hurricane centre.

The Cuban government on Saturday afternoon issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin.

The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

'Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire,' Jamie Rhome, Centre's Deputy Director, said earlier on Saturday. He said the storm will continue to move slowly for up to four days.

Authorities in Jamaica said on Saturday that the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will be closed at 8 pm local time.

More than 650 shelters were activated in Jamaica. Officials said warehouses across the island were well-stocked and thousands of food packages prepositioned for quick distribution if needed.

The storm has damaged nearly 200 homes in the Dominican Republic and knocked out water supply systems, affecting more than half a million customers. It also downed trees and traffic lights, unleashed a couple of small landslides and left more than two dozen communities isolated by floodwaters. (ANI/WAM)