Hurricane the storm Gains Power While Barrels Towards the Island Nation

Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to escalate to a rare highest-level hurricane as it shifts in the direction of Jamaica, causing life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.

The cyclone, which had wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 06:00 GMT, is presently veering northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to hit the coast by midweek, according to weather experts.

Alerts of power cuts and damage to infrastructure have been announced as Melissa produces up to 76cm of rainfall and coastal flooding as high as 4m above ground. "Seek shelter now," inhabitants have been advised.

The cyclone is the 13th hurricane in the ongoing Atlantic storm period, which normally finishes in November.

Category Five Hurricane Risk

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

Although Melissa is expected to diminish in strength to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall on the island, authorities said there was "very little practical difference in the overall impacts" upon reaching the coast, and that the storm will be "at least that intensity" when it strikes the nation.

Immediate Safety Steps

With storm-force wind and rainfall already expected long before it crosses the island's interior - perhaps encompassing the capital, Kingston - advisories state that "readiness efforts must be accelerated".

"Several days of harmful winds and torrential rain have begun and will cause severe and deadly flash flooding and numerous mudslides," counseled meteorological officials.

The country's head of government the statesman commented: "I understand that there are many Jamaicans who are anxious, who are deeply troubled, and rightfully so: concern is justified.

"Yet the most effective method to manage nervousness and any apprehension and worry is to stay ready."

Residents are being instructed to protect their properties with sandbags and wooden boards, and to accumulate basic necessities.

Regional Consequences

Advisories are also ongoing for regions of Haiti including the main city, Port au Prince, the adjacent nation and Cuba's eastern region, where Melissa is projected to bring analogous consequences by the midweek period.

Rock slides presently generated by the cyclone have caused two deaths in Haiti, according to emergency services.

Future Path

The hurricane is forecast to pass over Cuba by midweek before passing across the Antillas Mayores and out into the Atlantic Ocean.

By the moment it arrives at Cuba, it is predicted to have diminished to a category three storm.

Weather Context

Although it is hard to link particular meteorological occurrences to environmental shifts, experts say it is causing meteorological events increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Higher ocean heat produce more moisture in the environment, aiding in the formation of storms.

Before the beginning of the current Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies predicted above-normal activity, citing heated marine conditions and possible stronger monsoon activity around West Africa - where tropical systems often form.