Hurricane Melissa left dozens dead and widespread destruction across Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti on Wednesday, and it continued on to pass through the Bahamas as a weakened storm.

Hurricane Melissa is battering the Bahamas with “damaging winds and flooding rains” after killing at least 34 people across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti.The death toll has continued to rise as the hurricane,

Hurricane Melissa brought devastation and death to the Caribbean as it tore through the region as one of the most powerful storms on earth in more than 150 years.

The storm was making its way to the Bahamas and Bermuda on Thursday morning as Jamaica confronted the devastation from one of the most potent storms ever recorded anywhere.

The National Hurricane Center's 5 a.m. Thursday update reported that Category 2 Hurricane Melissa is in the Atlantic Ocean, 215 miles northeast of the Central Bahamas and 685 miles southwest of Bermuda. The hurricane is moving north-northeast at 21 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

As of 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Melissa was still a powerful Category 4 storm, with winds of 145 mph. The hurricane is centered about 15 miles east of Montego Bay and about 200 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. It is moving north-northeast at 8 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Hurricane Melissa is making its way over the Bahamas after lashing Cuba and carving a deadly swath of destruction in Jamaica and Haiti.

Hurricane Melissa, weakened to a Category 2 storm, was moving away from the Bahamas into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean early Thursday, after battering the Caribbean over the last few days.

Hurricane Melissa is currently a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph as it's "starting to accelerate northeastward over the Bahamas," the National Hurricane Center said.

Most of Jamaica remains without power, as our correspondent reports floods, mudslides and "palm trees tossed like toothpicks".