KINGSTON, Jamaica — The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says “catastrophic” and “life-threatening” hurricane-force wind conditions are expected to begin impacting Jamaica Monday night and continue into early Tuesday.

Noting that tropical storm conditions are now occurring in the country, the centre said that within the eyewall, total structural failure is likely, especially in higher elevation areas where wind speeds atop, and on the windward sides of hills and mountains could be up to 30 per cent stronger.

In its latest bulletin, the NHC noted that the centre of Hurricane Melissa was located near latitude 16.4 north and longitude 78.2 west as it continues moving toward the west at three miles per hour.

It said a slow turn toward the northwest and north is expected later Monday, followed by a turn toward the northeast and a faster forward speed on Tuesday. A northeastward motion is expected on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move over Jamaica Monday night and early Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 165 mph (270 km/h) with higher gusts. Hurricane Melissa is a category five hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  Some fluctuations in intensity are likely before Melissa makes landfall on Jamaica on Tuesday, the NHC said.