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Tropical Storm Melissa is predicted to become a uncommon Category 5 cyclone as it veers towards Jamaica, causing deadly rapid inundation and mudslides.

The cyclone, which had winds of up to 195 km/h as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is now shifting northwest in the Caribbean and is projected to hit the coast by midweek, as reported by weather experts.

Warnings of blackouts and structural damage have been issued as the hurricane produces up to thirty inches of precipitation and coastal flooding as high as 4m above normal levels. "Seek shelter now," locals have been told.

Melissa is the thirteenth storm in the ongoing Atlantic season, which typically ends in November.

Category Five Hurricane Danger

A category five hurricane is the most intense classification, with wind speeds of at least 157mph.

While Melissa is expected to diminish in strength to a category four storm before making landfall on the island, experts said there was "almost no noticeable change in the total effects" upon reaching the coast, and that the storm will be "equally strong" when it strikes the island.

Immediate Preparations

With tropical storm-level gusts and precipitation anticipated well in advance ahead of it passes over central Jamaica - possibly even the national capital - advisories state that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"A multi-day period of damaging winds and torrential rain has started and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening sudden floods and many landslides," advised meteorological officials.

The country's head of government the official commented: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are anxious, who are extremely apprehensive, and appropriately: worry is natural.

"But the most effective method to handle worry and any unease and anxiety is to stay ready."

Inhabitants are being told to fortify their houses with sand barriers and wooden boards, and to accumulate essentials.

Regional Consequences

Advisories are also ongoing for parts of Haiti such as the capital, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and Cuba's eastern region, where the hurricane is projected to bring analogous consequences by the middle portion of the coming week.

Landslides already being caused by the hurricane have already killed two in Haiti, according to local authorities.

Expected Path

Melissa is forecast to pass over Cuba by Wednesday before passing across the Caribbean archipelago and emerging into the open ocean.

By the moment it arrives at the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have weakened to a category three hurricane.

Environmental Background

While it is difficult to link particular meteorological occurrences to climate change, experts say it is resulting in weather phenomena increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Increased sea temperatures generate more moisture in the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of hurricanes.

Ahead of the start of this season's Atlantic hurricane season, meteorological authorities predicted above-normal activity, referencing elevated ocean temperatures and potential more intense weather patterns around the western African continent - where Atlantic storms often form.