Heavy rain and winds have begun to lash Jamaica as Hurricane Ivan draws closer, after ravaging Grenada and killing 27 people.
Jamaicans had been scrambling to protect their homes and stock up on supplies as the storm approached the island.
Schools, shops and airports have been closed and emergency shelters have been prepared.
Ahead of its arrival, the government of Jamaica ordered half a million people to leave coastal areas. However, officials said many residents were reluctant to abandon their houses for fear of looting.
The Jamaican Prime Minister, PJ Patterson, said the country had to prepare for what he called the worst-case scenario.
Up to 33 people have died so far as a result of the hurricane. Most of the fatalities were on the southeast Caribbean island of Grenada, although deaths have also been reported in Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
Weather forecasters have warned that the storm's wind speeds, which have dropped from 150mph, could regain strength.
Cuba and Florida are also expected to be in the storm's path on Sunday and Monday. Many tourists currently on holiday are either being sent home or transferred to the Dominican Republic.
The Cayman Islands, a key offshore financial centre in the northwestern Caribbean, issued a hurricane warning for its 43,000 people yesterday, saying hurricane conditions were possible within 24 hours.
Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba could also feel the wrath of the latest hurricane to hit the area.
