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Hurricane the storm is forecast to escalate to a infrequent category five cyclone as it veers towards the Caribbean island, causing deadly flash flooding and rock falls.

This weather system, which had wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 6:00 AM GMT, is presently veering northwest in the Caribbean region and is anticipated to make landfall by early next week, as reported by weather experts.

Alerts of blackouts and structural damage have been issued as Melissa brings up to 30 inches of rain and storm surges as high as 4m above normal levels. "Take cover without delay," residents have been told.

The cyclone is the 13th cyclone in the current Atlantic season, which typically ends in the eleventh month.

Highest-Level Cyclone Risk

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

Although the hurricane is expected to weaken to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall on the island, experts said there was "very little practical difference in the general consequences" upon landfall, and that the hurricane will be "equally strong" when it hits the nation.

Urgent Safety Steps

With storm-force gusts and precipitation already expected well before it crosses central Jamaica - possibly even the national capital - warnings indicate that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"An extended timeframe of harmful winds and heavy rainfall are underway and will cause devastating and dangerous sudden floods and numerous rock slides," counseled climate experts.

The country's head of government the official said: "I realize that there are numerous residents who are anxious, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"Yet the most effective method to manage worry and any unease and concern is to remain prepared."

Residents are being instructed to fortify their houses with sand barriers and plywood sheets, and to accumulate essentials.

Wider Effects

Warnings are also active for regions of Haiti such as the primary urban center, the neighboring country and Cuba's eastern region, where this storm is projected to bring analogous consequences by the midweek period.

Mudslides presently generated by the cyclone have resulted in two fatalities in the country, according to emergency services.

Projected Trajectory

This weather system is forecast to move across Cuba by the middle of the week before moving through the Caribbean archipelago and emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

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

Environmental Background

Even though it is hard to associate specific storms to environmental shifts, researchers say it is making meteorological events increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Higher ocean heat create greater water vapor in the air, aiding in the creation of tropical cyclones.

Prior to the start of the current Atlantic hurricane season, climate agencies predicted above-normal activity, referencing heated marine conditions and likely enhanced seasonal rains around African coastal regions - where hurricanes often form.