So far, the Atlantic has seen 13 named systems during hurricane season, with Erin, Humberto and Melissa reaching Category 5—the strongest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which reflects a given storm’s maximum sustained wind speeds.

“The timing and strength of a dip in the jet stream over the eastern United States next week will help determine the path that Melissa takes through the northern Caribbean and into the southwestern Atlantic," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex ...

Hurricane Melissa is on track to pass through the southeastern islands of the Bahamas, which are sparsely populated compared to the islands in the north of the archipelago. The two islands that are in the storm’s direct path, Crooked Island and Long Island, have a total population of just a few thousand people.

Melissa is one of the strongest hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. Here's how it compares with previous powerful hurricanes.

It also marks the first time in 20 years that three or more Category 5 hurricanes have developed over the Atlantic Basin in one season. The last time was in 2005, when Hurricanes Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma all reached Category 5—breaking a record.

Each year, the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Follow along as we track each storm throughout the season.

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is making landfall in Jamaica and is unleashing some of nature's most intense fury on the island nation with a high risk of great loss of life and catastrophic damage on Tuesday. "This is unequivocally the most astounding capture of the atmosphere that I have ever seen."