India, Oct. 29 -- Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, becoming one of the strongest cyclones ever to strike the Caribbean before moving toward Cuba as a powerful Category 4 storm, according to media reports on Wednesday.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica said the hurricane - classified as Category 5 at landfall - struck the island's southwestern coast near New Hope, Westmoreland, with maximum sustained winds of around 295 kilometres per hour (185 miles per hour).

The storm brought torrential rain and destructive winds across Jamaica, with up to 30 inches (76 centimetres) of rainfall expected in some areas, triggering flash floods and landslides, the BBC reported.

"The winds are so strong you would not be able to ...