A hurricane warning remains in effect for Jamaica as catastrophic category 5 Hurricane Melissa has made landfall on the island.

This means that the centre of the hurricane has come on land.

At 12:00 noon, the centre of Hurricane Melissa made landfall on the southwestern coast of Jamaica near New Hope, Westmoreland.

Melissa is moving toward the north-northeast at 9 miles per hour.

Maximum sustained winds are near 185 miles per hour, with higher gusts, making melissa a major category 5 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson hurricane wind scale.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the centre and tropical  storm force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.