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Cyclone Melissa is projected to strengthen into a infrequent category five cyclone as it turns toward Jamaica, bringing life-threatening sudden floods and rock falls.

This weather system, which recorded wind speeds of up to 120 mph as of 06:00 GMT, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean and is expected to hit the coast by midweek, based on data from meteorological authorities.

Advisories of power cuts and damage to infrastructure have been issued as this storm produces up to 30 inches of rain and coastal flooding as high as 4m above typical tides. "Seek shelter now," inhabitants have been told.

The cyclone is the thirteenth cyclone in the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season, which typically ends in the eleventh month.

Most Intense Hurricane Threat

A highest-level cyclone is the strongest type, with winds of at least 252 km/h.

While Melissa is expected to weaken to a Category 4 cyclone before arriving at Jamaica, authorities said there was "very little practical difference in the total effects" upon landfall, and that the cyclone will be "equally strong" when it strikes the nation.

Urgent Safety Steps

With storm-force wind and rainfall predicted to begin long before it moves across central Jamaica - perhaps encompassing the city of Kingston - alerts indicate that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"An extended timeframe of harmful winds and intense precipitation have begun and will cause devastating and dangerous flash flooding and multiple mudslides," counseled climate experts.

The nation's leader the official said: "I understand that there are numerous residents who are worried, who are extremely apprehensive, and with good reason: worry is natural.

"But the best way to manage nervousness and any nervousness and anxiety is to be prepared."

Residents are being advised to protect their properties with sandbags and wooden boards, and to accumulate essentials.

Regional Impact

Alerts are also ongoing for parts of Haiti encompassing the main city, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba, where Melissa is anticipated to bring analogous consequences by the middle portion of the coming week.

Mudslides already being caused by the storm have already killed two in the country, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Expected Course

This weather system is predicted to cross Cuba by the middle of the week before traveling via the Greater Antilles and out into the Atlantic Ocean.

By the time it makes contact with the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have reduced to a third-level storm.

Weather Context

Although it is hard to associate particular meteorological occurrences to environmental shifts, scientists say it is resulting in weather phenomena increasingly frequent and more intense.

Increased sea temperatures generate more moisture in the environment, aiding in the development of hurricanes.

Before the commencement of the current Caribbean cyclone season, weather organizations projected above-normal activity, referencing warmer seas and possible more intense weather patterns around the western African continent - where hurricanes typically originate.