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Hurricane the storm is projected to become a infrequent category five storm as it turns toward Jamaica, causing dangerous rapid inundation and landslides.

The cyclone, which registered winds of up to 195 km/h as of 6:00 AM GMT, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean region and is projected to make landfall by midweek, according to hurricane specialists.

Advisories of blackouts and damage to infrastructure have been announced as Melissa generates up to thirty inches of rainfall and coastal flooding as high as 4m above ground. "Seek shelter now," locals have been told.

Melissa is the 13th storm in the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season, which usually concludes in late autumn.

Highest-Level Cyclone Risk

A Category 5 storm is the most powerful category, with sustained winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

While the hurricane is expected to diminish in strength to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall on the island, meteorologists said there was "minimal real distinction in the total effects" upon landfall, and that the cyclone will be "at least that intensity" when it strikes the country.

Immediate Safety Steps

With tropical storm-strength gusts and precipitation anticipated well in advance ahead of it moves across Jamaica's central region - perhaps encompassing the city of Kingston - warnings indicate that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"Several days of harmful winds and intense precipitation have begun and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening rapid water accumulation and multiple mudslides," counseled weather authorities.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated: "I realize that there are many Jamaicans who are concerned, who are deeply troubled, and rightfully so: worry is natural.

"However the optimal approach to handle nervousness and any apprehension and worry is to stay ready."

Locals are being advised to protect their properties with sandbags and timber panels, and to accumulate essentials.

Wider Effects

Advisories are also ongoing for parts of Haiti such as the capital, Port au Prince, the adjacent nation and eastern Cuba, where this storm is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle of next week.

Rock slides already being caused by the storm have already killed two in the country, according to emergency services.

Future Course

This weather system is predicted to cross Cuba by the middle of the week before moving through the Greater Antilles and emerging into the Atlantic.

By the moment it makes contact with the Caribbean nation, it is predicted to have weakened to a third-level hurricane.

Climate Connection

While it is difficult to connect individual weather events to climate change, scientists say it is resulting in weather phenomena increasingly frequent and more severe.

Warmer oceans produce more moisture in the air, contributing to the formation of hurricanes.

Prior to the beginning of this season's Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies predicted above-normal activity, referencing heated marine conditions and likely more intense weather patterns around West Africa - where hurricanes often form.