Hurricane Wilma, which has swelled into a dangerous Category Five storm, is the strongest hurricane ever recorded, the US National Hurricane Center says. It says the storm's barometric pressure - a measure of its strength - was the lowest on record in the Atlantic basin. Its winds of near 165mph (270km/h) and heavy rains are threatening Cuba, Mexico and the Cayman Islands. At least 11 people have been killed in Haiti by floods and landslides associated with Wilma. Forecasters say the hurricane presents a "significant threat" to Florida, which it is expected to hit this weekend. The Cayman Islands has been spared a full hit from Wilma but the territory has experienced heavy rain and gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Centre predicted that Wilma's outer bands could dump up to ten inches of rain on the Cayman Islands. Donovan Ebanks, head of the National Hurricane Committee told BBC Caribbean Radio they are prepared for any serious flooding. Serious damage "We don't expect to get as much as ten inches, our local forecasters told us we'll get more like four to six inches," he said. "We do have arrangements in terms of shelters that we can open if need be and we have our emergency services on full alert in case there are problems reported and we have to assist anyone." In Jamaica, heavy rain over the last few caused by a pressure system associated with the hurricane has caused severe damage in some areas with houses washed away and more than 400 people taking refuge in shelters. Disaster officials are expecting the damage to run into millions, as many properties have been destroyed, roads eroded and some communities submerged as a result of raging waters. Wilma is moving at a speed of 7mph (11km/h) towards Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, but is expected to turn north-west in the next 24 hours. The Mexican authorities have told tourists to evacuate high-risk areas along the coast near the holiday resort of Cancun, AFP news agency reports. The strong winds have forced music television station, MTV, to postpone its Video Music Awards Latin America, which had been scheduled to take place in the resort of Playa del Carmen. The storm is the record-tying 12th hurricane of the season, the same number reached in 1969. It is the most for one season since record-keeping began in 1851. Residents in the Florida Keys have already begun buying emergency supplies. Reprinted from bbccaribbean.com