With maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour as it batters the Caribbean island of Jamaica on Tuesday, Hurricane Melissa is a beast of a storm. Satellite and other images starkly illustrate Melissa’s monstrosity,

Hurricane Melissa is set to bring catastrophic winds, flooding and storm surge to Jamaica, forecasters have warned.

Today, Today, there were numerous changes. Melissa developed into hurricane, before turning into a Category 5 hurricane. Then, it weakened to a Category 4 hurricane and was later downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 mph.

Lightning flashes in the eyewall of Category 5 Melissa are a marker of how strong the storm is. It reached a central pressure of 892 millibars, among the lowest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. It is tied as the third-most intense Atlantic storm with the devastating 1935 Labor Day hurricane.

Melissa ranks among the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded and the strongest to ever hit Jamaica.

Historic, life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are expected in portions of Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend, the NHC said. Peak storm surge heights could reach 9 to 13 feet above normal tide levels when the storm makes landfall, accompanied by large and powerfully destructive waves.

This article originally published at Severe Hurricane Melissa causes cruise ship scramble to Gulf. As winter approaches, it helps to know when to pack a parka or rain gear. AccuWeather has the skinny on what regions will see heavy snow and when.

With winds up to 175 mph, the Category 5 storm has grounded flights, rerouted cruises, and forced resort evacuations.