The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the Category 4 was packing maximum winds of about 145 miles per hour – and would likely intensify into a top-level Category 5 storm later Sunday. The storm is moving at a worryingly slow pace – just five miles an hour.

Based on historical data, a hurricane hits Jamaica about once every 10-11 years, on average.

The erratic storm was expected to drop copious rain on Jamaica and the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend.