BREAKING: Hurricane Melissa has strengthened with winds now at 180 mph and a central pressure drop to 896 mb. The storm is one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record as it nears Jamaica's southern coast. This is an extremely dangerous, life-threatening situation. Watch: | The Weather Channel

The U.S. Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, aka the "Hurricane Hunters," flew into the eye of Hurricane Melissa on Monday to collect data for the National Hurricane Center. Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, is bearing down on Jamaica and is forecast to be the worst storm in the island's history. Follow live updates: https://abcnews.visitlink.me/I8Me0X | ABC News

The U.S. Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the "Hurricane Hunters," flew through Hurricane Melissa on Monday (October 27) to collect vital data for the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 175 mph (282 kph), threatens Jamaica with catastrophic damage as it approaches. Melissa, described as "catastrophic" by the NHC, is expected to hit Jamaica late Monday or early Tuesday before moving across eastern Cuba and the Bahamas. Forecaste