A monster hurricane making a beeline for Jamaica has rapidly intensified to category five and could be the strongest storm on record to hit the Caribbean nation.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered from low-lying vulnerable coastal areas amid warnings of a “catastrophic event”.

The slow-moving hurricane, which has been gaining strength, is the largest storm on the planet this year and is expected to hit in the next 24 hours.

It was 255 kilometres south-west of the capital Kingston on Tuesday morning (AEDT).

Satellite imagery revealed never-before-seen wind speeds in the Atlantic Basin, exceeding 305km/h, with a meteorologist declaring “We’re witnessing satellite history in the Atlantic tonight”.

US-based National Hurricane Centre deputy director Jamie Rhome said Melissa’s slow pace over the warm waters of the Caribbean could lead to “extreme rainfall potential”.

Other major risk factors include flooding and landslides.

Three people have already died in the hurricane’s path — three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

Melissa more than doubled in strength over the weekend to the highest category level five.

The NHC said it was expected to make landfall in Jamaica on Monday night or Tuesday morning local time (Tuesday afternoon or overnight AEDT), before hitting south-eastern Cuba.

Catastrophic floods, landslides and storm surges are expected in the region.

“Conditions [in Jamaica] are going to go down rapidly today,” Rhome said.

“Be ready to ride this out for several days.”

Jamaican authorities said in the capital Kingston that both international airports were closed and 881 shelters had been activated across the nation.

“Many of these communities will not survive the flooding,” local government minister Desmond McKenzie said.

“Kingston is extremely low. No community in Kingston is immune.”

Some residents, however, have chosen to stay put, and authorities said some had refused to board evacuation buses.

“We are riding out the storm, we’re not going to go anywhere. Just sitting down and watch everything, make sure everything’s working good,” said Douglas Butler, a local boat captain in Port Royal.

“I just take things easy. As long as I have my food, I can eat. That is the most important thing.”

The NHC said Melissa was expected to bring 40-76 centimetres of rain to Jamaica and southern Hispaniola with a local maximum of up to a metre. Eastern Cuba is expected to receive 25-40 centimetres, with local amounts of up to 50 centimetres.

Jamaica’s information minister, Dana Morris Dixon, said the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency was ready to provide assistance, and several international partners had already pledged support.

“We will experience the intensity of the hurricane tomorrow night Monday, going into Tuesday,” Morris Dixon said.

“This is rainfall we’ve not seen before.”

Haitian authorities said three people had died as a consequence of the hurricane. Another five were injured in a wall collapse.

There were also reports of rising river levels, flooding and a bridge destroyed due to breached riverbanks in Sainte-Suzanne, in the north-east.

Many residents were still reluctant to leave their homes, Haitian officials said.

The storm damaged nearly 200 homes in the Dominican Republic and knocked out water supply systems, affecting more than half a million customers.

It also downed trees and traffic lights, unleashed landslides and left more than two dozen communities isolated by floodwaters.

-With AP/AAP