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Hurricane the storm is projected to become a rare Category 5 cyclone as it shifts in the direction of Jamaica, bringing dangerous sudden floods and mudslides.

The cyclone, which had winds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is presently veering toward the northwest in the Caribbean region and is expected to hit the coast by early next week, according to hurricane specialists.

Advisories of blackouts and structural damage have been issued as this storm generates up to 30 inches of rainfall and storm surges as high as thirteen feet above ground. "Seek shelter now," locals have been told.

This hurricane is the 13th cyclone in this year's Atlantic storm period, which normally finishes in the eleventh month.

Highest-Level Cyclone Risk

A Category 5 cyclone is the most intense classification, with winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

While Melissa is projected to reduce in intensity to a fourth-level hurricane before making landfall on Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "very little practical difference in the total effects" upon reaching the coast, and that the hurricane will be "equally strong" when it hits the island.

Immediate Preparations

With tropical storm-strength wind and rainfall already expected well before it moves across the island's interior - perhaps encompassing the capital, Kingston - advisories emphasize that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"An extended timeframe of destructive gusts and intense precipitation has started and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening rapid water accumulation and multiple mudslides," urged meteorological officials.

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

"However the best way to handle anxiety and any apprehension and anxiety is to be prepared."

Locals are being instructed to protect their properties with protective bags and plywood sheets, and to accumulate essentials.

Broader Effects

Warnings are also active for areas in Haiti including the main city, Port au Prince, the adjacent nation and the eastern part of Cuba, where Melissa is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle of next week.

Mudslides currently triggered by the cyclone have already killed two in the country, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Expected Course

Melissa is forecast to move across the island nation by the middle of the week before traveling via the Antillas Mayores and entering the open ocean.

By the moment it arrives at Cuba, it is predicted to have reduced to a Category 3 storm.

Weather Connection

Although it is difficult to link individual weather events to climate change, scientists say it is causing climate patterns increasingly frequent and more intense.

Higher ocean heat create more moisture in the environment, contributing to the creation of tropical cyclones.

Prior to the start of this season's Caribbean cyclone season, weather organizations forecast higher-than-average occurrence, mentioning warmer seas and potential enhanced seasonal rains around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms often form.