Residents living in coastal regions were asked to evacuate in preparation for Hurricane Melissa|NOAA

Hurricane Melissa, which strengthened into a Category 5 storm, is expected to make landfall in Jamaica today, bringing sustained winds exceeding 157 miles per hour.

If it does, it will mark the strongest hurricane to strike the island since records began in 1851.

Residents living in coastal regions were asked to evacuate in preparation for the storm.

Warnings have been issued for parts of Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The storm is not expected to affect the US mainland directly.