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Cyclone Melissa is forecast to become a infrequent category five cyclone as it turns in the direction of the Caribbean island, delivering life-threatening rapid inundation and rock falls.

This weather system, which recorded wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 6:00 AM GMT, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to hit the coast by early next week, according to hurricane specialists.

Alerts of blackouts and structural damage have been released as Melissa brings up to thirty inches of precipitation and sea level surges as high as 4m above ground. "Find safe refuge immediately," inhabitants have been told.

The cyclone is the 13th hurricane in the current Atlantic season, which typically ends in late autumn.

Most Intense Hurricane Risk

A category five storm is the most powerful category, with winds of at least 252 km/h.

Even though Melissa is projected to reduce in intensity to a category four hurricane before making landfall on Jamaica, experts said there was "very little practical difference in the overall impacts" upon reaching the coast, and that the cyclone will be "at least that intensity" when it impacts the island.

Immediate Preparations

With tropical storm-strength gusts and precipitation already expected well before it moves across Jamaica's central region - possibly even the capital, Kingston - warnings state that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"An extended timeframe of destructive gusts and intense precipitation are underway and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening sudden floods and multiple landslides," counseled weather authorities.

Jamaican Prime Minister the official stated: "I realize that there are countless citizens who are worried, who are deeply troubled, and with good reason: concern is justified.

"But the optimal approach to address worry and any unease and worry is to stay ready."

Locals are being instructed to protect their properties with sandbags and timber panels, and to accumulate basic necessities.

Wider Impact

Alerts are also active for regions of the neighboring country encompassing the primary urban center, the Dominican Republic and the eastern part of Cuba, where Melissa is anticipated to bring comparable impacts by the middle of next week.

Rock slides presently generated by the cyclone have resulted in two fatalities in the country, according to local authorities.

Expected Course

Melissa is predicted to pass over Cuba by Wednesday before moving through the Caribbean archipelago and emerging into the Atlantic.

By the time it arrives at the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have diminished to a Category 3 storm.

Weather Connection

Although it is hard to connect individual weather events to environmental shifts, researchers say it is making climate patterns increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Increased sea temperatures generate additional humidity in the air, helping fuel the formation of tropical cyclones.

Ahead of the beginning of the current Caribbean cyclone season, meteorological authorities forecast increased storm frequency, mentioning heated marine conditions and possible more intense weather patterns around West Africa - where tropical systems frequently develop.