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Tropical Storm Melissa is projected to escalate to a rare Category 5 storm as it veers in the direction of Jamaica, causing life-threatening sudden floods and mudslides.

This weather system, which had winds of up to 120 mph as of 06:00 GMT, is currently turning north-west in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to hit the coast by midweek, as reported by hurricane specialists.

Alerts of electricity outages and structural damage have been released as Melissa generates up to thirty inches of rainfall and sea level surges as high as 4m above normal levels. "Seek shelter now," residents have been told.

This hurricane is the thirteenth hurricane in the ongoing Atlantic season, which usually concludes in November.

Category Five Hurricane Risk

A category five storm is the most powerful category, with wind speeds of at least 157mph.

Even though this storm is set to weaken to a Category 4 storm before making landfall on Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "minimal real distinction in the total effects" upon reaching the coast, and that the storm will be "equally strong" when it strikes the island.

Critical Readiness Measures

With tropical storm-level wind and rainfall predicted to begin long before it passes over Jamaica's central region - perhaps encompassing the capital, Kingston - alerts emphasize that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"An extended timeframe of damaging winds and heavy rainfall has started and will cause severe and deadly flash flooding and numerous mudslides," counseled climate experts.

The nation's leader the statesman stated: "I understand that there are countless citizens who are anxious, who are extremely apprehensive, and appropriately: concern is justified.

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

Residents are being told to protect their properties with sand barriers and timber panels, and to stock up on basic necessities.

Broader Consequences

Advisories are also ongoing for regions of the neighboring country encompassing the primary urban center, the Dominican Republic and Cuba's eastern region, where Melissa is projected to bring comparable impacts by the middle portion of the coming week.

Mudslides currently triggered by the storm have caused two deaths in the country, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Future Path

The hurricane is predicted to cross Cuba by Wednesday before passing across the Caribbean archipelago and out into the Atlantic.

By the moment it reaches Cuba, it is forecast to have reduced to a category three hurricane.

Weather Context

Although it is difficult to associate specific storms to environmental shifts, scientists say it is causing weather phenomena more common and more extreme.

Higher ocean heat produce more moisture in the air, contributing to the formation of tropical cyclones.

Before the beginning of the current Atlantic storm period, weather organizations forecast higher-than-average occurrence, citing warmer seas and possible enhanced seasonal rains around West Africa - where hurricanes often form.