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.

In the videos taken on Monday, Oct. 27, huge clusters of clouds swirl around the hurricane's "eye." At times, the clouds show bright white.

Hurricane Melissa is approaching Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds. A recent study suggests global warming is fueling more intense and rapidly strengthening hurricanes. Scientists have debated adding a "Category 6" to the Saffir-Simpson scale for storms with winds over 192 mph.

According to the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. Tuesday advisory, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is in the Caribbean Sea, 55 miles south-southeast of Negril Jamaica and 265 miles southwest of Guantanamo Cuba. With maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, the hurricane is moving to the north-northeast at 7 mph.

Evan Thompson with the Meteorological Service of Jamaica warned that the impending landfall of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa would cause catastrophic and “life-threatening” damage. Thompson advised seeking shelter in buildings with as many walls as possible to separate them from the outside.

Hurricane season annually keeps millions on their toes from August to November and while the climatological peak of hurricane season is beyond us at this point, residents living along the East and Gulf coasts of the U.