India, Oct. 27 -- Maintaining Category intensity, Hurricane Melissa continued to strengthen late Sunday carrying a threat to leave catastrophic flooding across parts of the northern Caribbean, including Jamaica and Haiti.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the storm could grow even stronger, possibly reaching Category 5 status by Monday, with maximum sustained winds expected to exceed 157 mph (250 kph).

Hurricanes are measured using the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) and their categories range from 1 to 5, based on sustained wind speeds, with higher numbers indicating stronger storms and greater potential for damage. Category 1 storms have winds from 74-95 mph, Category 2 have 96-110 mph, Category 3 have 111-130 mp...