Hurricane Melissa has caused devastating flooding in Haiti, leading to at least 20 deaths on the island. Many homes have been washed away in the floodwaters and people have been clearing debris with their bare hands, Pascal Bimenyimana from the World Relief NGO says.

The scale of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa is emerging, with dozens of people known to have died in Haiti and four deaths reported in Jamaica - and the storm is now approaching the Bahamas.

Hurricane Melissa moves toward Bermuda after more than 30 die across Caribbean More than 30 deaths are being attributed to the storm across Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, according to officials.

The Hunters wrote on social media Tuesday that they were forced to turn back from another mission into the eye of Melissa due to “heavy turbulence.”

Catastrophic’ storm kills over 30 in the Caribbean as it moves through the Bahamas - Hurricane Melissa is expected to move across the Bahamas on Wednesday evening

Hurricane Melissa is on track to pass through the southeastern islands of the Bahamas, which are sparsely populated compared to the islands in the north of the archipelago. The two islands that are in the storm’s direct path, Crooked Island and Long Island, have a total population of just a few thousand people.

Hurricane Melissa's devastating path across the Caribbean has left a trail of destruction. Viral videos, confirmed as real footage from \"Hurricane Hun

Hurricane Melissa has left at least 34 people dead and caused widespread destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa is edging toward Jamaica and is set to make landfall as a historic Category 5 storm, with winds of more than 170 mph. Jamaica is bracing for what the National Hurricane Center said would be catastrophic flash flooding and landslides caused by up to 40 inches of rain in some places. The storm is due to make landfall early tomorrow.

Melissa underwent extreme rapid intensification, strengthening to a rare Category 5 with winds of 175 mph and stronger gusts, making it the strongest storm on the planet this year. Follow for live updates.

Forecasters say Melissa is moving toward the north-northeast at around 21 mph and is expected to continue accelerating northeastward.