Hurricane Melissa has claimed at least 49 lives across the northern Caribbean, with officials warning that the death toll is likely to rise as search and rescue operations continue in storm-ravaged areas.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba near Chivirico early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, following its destructive passage through Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

At least seven people were killed across the northern Caribbean as Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall Tuesday on the southwestern coast of Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 4 storm, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding across the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.