An extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane Melissa continues to move slowly toward Jamaica ahead of landfall.

The hurricane warning remains in effect for the island.

At 5:00 a.m., the center of hurricane Melissa was 75 miles south of Negril Point.

Hurricane Melissa is moving toward the north-northeast near 5 miles per hour.

A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected later today followed by a faster northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move over Jamaica today, across southeastern Cuba Wednesday morning and across the southeastern or central Bahamas later on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 280 kilometres per hour with higher gusts.

Melissa is a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

Some fluctuations in intensity are likely before Melissa makes landfall on Jamaica later today.

Doppler radar and satellite images show that outer bands of hurricane Melissa cover most of Jamaica and have been producing moderate to heavy rainfall over the island.  

Data obtained from the weather station network indicate amounts exceeding 4 inches in parts of southern parishes today.

Tropical storm conditions are occurring over Jamaica and catastrophic hurricane-force wind conditions are expected to begin early on Tuesday.

Life-threatening storm surge, accompanied by large and destructive waves are likely along the south coast of Jamaica today peaking at 9-13 feet above ground level near and to the east of where the centre of Melissa makes landfall. 

On the northwestern coast there is also the possibility of 3 foot storm surge above ground level.