Hurricane Melissa slams Cuba after tearing through Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa swept across Cuba on Wednesday, causing severe flooding and forcing the evacuation of more than 735,000 people, hours after the powerful storm tore through Jamaica.

Videos on social media showed residents wading through nearly knee-deep water in their homes as streets turned into rushing rivers.

The "extremely dangerous" Category 3 storm moved inland over south-eastern Santiago de Cuba province after making landfall early Wednesday, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The NHC warned of life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash floods with numerous landslides.

Cuban authorities have yet to report any casualties, but the full extent of the damage to the island of 10 million people was set to emerge as the day progressed.

Melissa hit Cuba after pummelling Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, packing winds of up to 295 km/h, storm surges and torrential rains.

The winds have since eased, but residents were advised to remain indoors until sunrise, the NHC said.

The Jamaican government declared the island a disaster zone following widespread damage, including to hospitals, bridges and power infrastructure, with more than 530,000 households left without electricity.

Media reports showed flattened homes and flooded streets. No deaths have yet been confirmed and the full extent of the devastation remained unclear, even hours after the hurricane made landfall.