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Cyclone Melissa is projected to become a infrequent category five cyclone as it shifts towards the Caribbean island, delivering dangerous flash flooding and mudslides.

The hurricane, which recorded winds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is now shifting northwest in the Caribbean and is projected to hit the coast by midweek, based on data from hurricane specialists.

Warnings of power cuts and structural damage have been announced as this storm brings up to 76cm of rainfall and coastal flooding as high as 4m above ground. "Find safe refuge immediately," locals have been urged.

This hurricane is the 13th cyclone in this year's Atlantic season, which typically ends in November.

Category Five Hurricane Danger

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

While this storm is expected to weaken to a Category 4 hurricane before reaching the island, meteorologists said there was "almost no noticeable change in the overall impacts" upon reaching the coast, and that the cyclone will be "just as powerful" when it impacts the island.

Immediate Safety Steps

With tropical storm-strength winds and rain already expected long before it moves across central Jamaica - perhaps encompassing the city of Kingston - warnings state that "readiness efforts must be accelerated".

"A multi-day period of damaging winds and intense precipitation have begun and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening sudden floods and many rock slides," counseled weather authorities.

The nation's leader the statesman stated: "I understand that there are many Jamaicans who are worried, who are extremely apprehensive, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"However the optimal approach to handle worry and any unease and worry is to be prepared."

Inhabitants are being advised to fortify their houses with protective bags and wooden boards, and to gather essentials.

Broader Consequences

Alerts are also ongoing for areas in the neighboring country including the capital, Port au Prince, the adjacent nation and eastern Cuba, where the hurricane is expected to bring similar effects by the middle portion of the coming week.

Landslides presently generated by the hurricane have already killed two in the country, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Expected Trajectory

The hurricane is forecast to pass over the island nation by the middle of the week before passing across the Caribbean archipelago and entering the Atlantic.

By the moment it reaches the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have weakened to a category three storm.

Environmental Context

Although it is hard to connect particular meteorological occurrences to environmental shifts, scientists say it is making climate patterns increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Higher ocean heat produce greater water vapor in the air, aiding in the formation of storms.

Prior to the commencement of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, meteorological authorities projected above-normal activity, citing heated marine conditions and likely stronger monsoon activity around African coastal regions - where hurricanes frequently develop.