'Melissa' nears coast after hitting Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa picked up strength as it bore down on Cuba, where it was expected to make landfall yesterday after ripping a path of destruction through Jamaica as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record there, lashing the island nation with brutal winds and torrential rain.

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A resident seeks to hitch a ride to a safe location, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Melissa, in Santiago de Cuba, on Tuesday

(AFP)

The monster storm was still 175 kilometres away from Guantanamo late on Tuesday, but "restrengthening" to a Category 4 hurricane "as it approaches eastern Cuba," the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory.