The storm was forecast to dump up to 25 inches of rain over Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica as it continues to strengthen this weekend.

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — U.S. forecasters issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica Saturday as Storm Melissa reached hurricane strength, threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean. A hurricane warning means winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph) are expected in the area within 36 hours.

Melissa intensified Saturday afternoon into a Category 1 hurricane. It will continue to strengthen before making landfall as a Major Category 4 hurricane in Jamaica on Tuesday. The storm will drop two to three feet of rain on the island, creating catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides.

Haiti is expected to see catastrophic flash floods and landslides early next week causing “extensive infrastructural damage and potentially prolonged isolation of communities.” The southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border of the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince, was placed under a hurricane watch and a tropical-storm warning.

The hot ocean temperatures and dry air are primed for a potentially explosive hurricane to erupt, with some severe weather impacts possible for Florida.

The storm is expected to hit Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos.

Tropical Storm Melissa has already turned deadly. As the storm strengthens throughout the weekend, we expect to see catastrophic impacts in the Caribbean. At least three people have been reported killed by landslides and falling trees in Haiti, while one person is dead and another is reported missing in the Dominican Republic.