New Delhi, Oct. 28 -- Hurricane Melissa, the monstrous Category 5 storm, is closing in on Jamaica, bringing catastrophic winds and torrential rainfall.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC), in its advisory issued at 5 AM EDT, stated that Melissa is expected to make landfall by midday, unleashing gusts up to 175 mph and as much as 30 inches of rain.

The storm, described as the strongest ever recorded in the region, has already claimed seven lives across the Caribbean - three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, the Independent reported. Officials warn the death toll could rise as flooding intensifies.

"Conditions are deteriorating quickly," the NHC said in its advisory, with catastrophic winds, flash flooding, a...