Hurricane Melissa makes second landfall in Cuba after lashing Jamaica as a Category 5 storm

TAMPA, Fla. - Hurricane Melissa made a second landfall in Cuba on Wednesday morning after devastating Jamaica as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall just after 3 a.m. ET near Chivirico, Cuba, as a powerful Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph.

As of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the storm had 100 mph winds.

FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg said Hurricane Melissa began weakening after making its second landfall.

However, the National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Melissa will cause life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and landslides on the island.

The backstory:

Before slamming into Cuba on Wednesday, millions of people across Jamaica had to endure the catastrophic impacts from Hurricane Melissa as it approached the southwestern coast of the island.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, around 1 p.m. Tuesday as a monstrous Category 5 hurricane with winds of 185 mph. Hurricane Melissa is now the third-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record and is tied for the strongest landfalling hurricane in recorded history.

What's next:

Osterberg says it will eventually move over the Atlantic Ocean and will produce hurricane-force winds in the Turks and Caicos and the Southeastern Bahamas.

A cold front passing through Florida on Wednesday is pushing Hurricane Melissa to the north and east, away from the United States.