Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean are staring down what could become a catastrophic, days-long assault of extreme rainfall and damaging winds with a strengthening Tropical Storm Melissa expected to become a major hurricane over some of the hottest ocean water on the planet.

Jamaica's central location in the Caribbean, the island has never recorded a direct landfall from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, according to records from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dating back to 1850.

Although Jamaica has been hit by many hurricanes, a storm stronger than Category 3 has never made landfall on the island.

Forecasters warn that Tropical Storm Melissa could bring destructive winds and over 30 inches of rain to Jamaica as the storm edges closer to the island.