SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba — Hurricane Melissa was grinding across Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

In high-elevation areas, snow will pose a threat. NWS meteorologists warned of more than a foot of snow in some mountainous regions, which could create hazards to travel. In the U.S, the heaviest snow is expected to fall in Northern Washington.

A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet is expected across southern Jamaica, with officials concerned about the impact on some hospitals along

Heavy Rainfall Alert in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Live Updates: At 6:30 pm, the IMD reported that SCS Montha was positioned about 110 km east of Machilipatnam and 100 km south of Kakinada.

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to become a major hurricane by Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

After crossing the coast, the weather system moved northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph during the past six hours to weaken into a cyclonic storm, India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin issued at 5 am said.