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Hurricane Melissa is forecast to strengthen into a infrequent category five cyclone as it shifts towards Jamaica, bringing dangerous sudden floods and landslides.

The cyclone, which had winds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 6:00 AM GMT, is presently veering toward the northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to make landfall by midweek, according to meteorological authorities.

Advisories of blackouts and structural damage have been released as Melissa generates up to 76cm of rain and coastal flooding as high as 13ft above ground. "Find safe refuge immediately," residents have been advised.

Melissa is the 13th named storm in the current Atlantic season, which typically ends in late autumn.

Highest-Level Cyclone Danger

A Category 5 hurricane is the most intense classification, with wind speeds of at least 157 miles per hour.

Even though the hurricane is expected to diminish in strength to a fourth-level cyclone before reaching the island, authorities said there was "almost no noticeable change in the overall impacts" upon landfall, and that the hurricane will be "just as powerful" when it strikes the nation.

Immediate Readiness Measures

With tropical storm-strength gusts and precipitation predicted to begin ahead of it passes over central Jamaica - possibly even the capital, Kingston - advisories state that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"Several days of destructive gusts and intense precipitation has started and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and multiple landslides," counseled climate experts.

The nation's leader the statesman stated: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are worried, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"Yet the optimal approach to handle nervousness and any apprehension and anxiety is to be prepared."

Inhabitants are being instructed to secure their homes with protective bags and wooden boards, and to accumulate basic necessities.

Broader Consequences

Alerts are also in effect for areas in the neighboring country including the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and Cuba's eastern region, where this storm is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle portion of the coming week.

Landslides presently generated by the storm have resulted in two fatalities in Haiti, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Future Course

Melissa is predicted to move across the island nation by Wednesday before moving through the Greater Antilles and entering the Atlantic Ocean.

By the moment it makes contact with the Caribbean nation, it is predicted to have weakened to a category three cyclone.

Weather Background

While it is hard to associate specific storms to climate change, scientists say it is making climate patterns more common and more severe.

Higher ocean heat create greater water vapor in the air, contributing to the formation of storms.

Prior to the commencement of this season's Atlantic storm period, weather organizations projected above-normal activity, citing heated marine conditions and likely more intense weather patterns around the western African continent - where tropical systems often form.