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Hurricane Melissa is projected to become a uncommon category five storm as it veers towards the Caribbean island, bringing dangerous rapid inundation and rock falls.

The cyclone, which had winds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean region and is projected to hit the coast by midweek, according to weather experts.

Advisories of power cuts and structural damage have been announced as Melissa produces up to thirty inches of rainfall and sea level surges as high as thirteen feet above normal levels. "Take cover without delay," residents have been urged.

This hurricane is the 13th named cyclone in the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season, which normally finishes in the eleventh month.

Highest-Level Storm Risk

A highest-level storm is the most powerful category, with sustained winds of at least 252 km/h.

While the hurricane is set to diminish in strength to a fourth-level hurricane before reaching Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "very little practical difference in the overall impacts" upon landfall, and that the storm will be "equally strong" when it strikes the country.

Immediate Safety Steps

With storm-force winds and rain predicted to begin long before it passes over Jamaica's central region - possibly even the city of Kingston - warnings emphasize that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"An extended timeframe of damaging winds and intense precipitation have begun and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening rapid water accumulation and multiple landslides," counseled weather authorities.

Jamaican Prime Minister the official commented: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are concerned, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"However the optimal approach to address anxiety and any unease and worry is to remain prepared."

Residents are being advised to fortify their houses with sandbags and wooden boards, and to stock up on essentials.

Wider Consequences

Alerts are also ongoing for areas in the neighboring country including the primary urban center, the adjacent nation and the eastern part of Cuba, where Melissa is projected to bring analogous consequences by the middle portion of the coming week.

Mudslides currently triggered by the hurricane have already killed two in Haiti, according to emergency services.

Projected Course

Melissa is projected to cross Cuba by the middle of the week before passing across the Greater Antilles and entering the open ocean.

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

Weather Background

Even though it is hard to connect individual weather events to global warming, experts say it is causing climate patterns increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Increased sea temperatures produce additional humidity in the environment, contributing to the development of hurricanes.

Prior to the beginning of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, climate agencies projected higher-than-average occurrence, referencing warmer seas and potential stronger monsoon activity around West Africa - where tropical systems often form.