In the last 25 years, a total of 10 major hurricanes have lashed the island. “Cuba is right in the center of things,” a weather historian said.

After Melissa moves away from Jamaica, Cuba is next in line for the powerful hurricane’s fury. Landfall is expected very early Wednesday morning, likely a couple hours after midnight, but impacts have already begun.

Tuesday 5 p.m. The National Hurricane Center warned about major flash flooding, landslides and strong winds in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Eastern Cuba as the latter country braced for the Category 4 hurricane Tuesday evening.

Jamaica is expected to be in the storm's eyewall, which refers to the band of dense clouds surrounding the eye of the hurricane. The eyewall generally produces the fiercest winds and heaviest rainfall, according to Deanna Hence, a professor of climate, meteorology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Cuba will take a direct hit from Melissa, likely while it is still a powerful major hurricane — defined as Category 3 or higher. Landfall is expected late Tuesday night or very early Wednesday morning,