Three dead in Jamaica as strongest storm of the year Hurricane Melissa approaches island

The world’s most powerful storm this year is drawing closer to Jamaica as it moves northeast through the Caribbean Sea

Many Jamaicans have been evacuated but the slow speed of Melissa’s approach has made for an anxiety-ridden few days.

“There’s this weird roar… like something’s coming. The birds have all gone,” says a British woman stuck on the island

The storm has already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, and four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Forecasters believe it could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica, with winds of 175mph (282km/h) and as much as 101cm (40 inches) of rain

Melissa was upgraded to a category five, which is the maximum strength, by the US-based National Hurricane Center early on Monday