India, Oct. 28 -- Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, and is expected to bring catastrophe being the worst storm to make landfall on the island since records were first kept 174 years ago.

The storm, the strongest possible one on the Saffir-Simpson scale, will likely cause flash flooding and landslides in its wake, the official said. It has sustained wind speeds of 180 mph.

"For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure," tropical cyclone specialist for the World Meteorological Organization, Anne-Claire Fontan, told Geneva press briefing. Fontan said a "catastrophic situation" could be expected in Jamaica.

* The storm hit Jamaica early Tuesday noon (local time) and is expected to cross eastern Cuba and move...