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Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to escalate to a rare Category 5 storm as it veers towards the Caribbean island, bringing deadly rapid inundation and landslides.

The hurricane, which recorded winds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean and is expected to reach land by early next week, according to weather experts.

Advisories of electricity outages and disruption to utilities have been announced as Melissa brings up to 30 inches of rain and coastal flooding as high as 4m above typical tides. "Seek shelter now," inhabitants have been told.

The cyclone is the 13th named storm in the ongoing Atlantic storm period, which normally finishes in the eleventh month.

Most Intense Storm Threat

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

While the hurricane is set to weaken to a category four hurricane before arriving at Jamaica, authorities said there was "minimal real distinction in the overall impacts" upon making contact with land, and that the hurricane will be "just as powerful" when it hits the nation.

Urgent Readiness Measures

With tropical storm-level wind and rainfall anticipated well in advance ahead of it moves across Jamaica's central region - perhaps encompassing the capital, Kingston - alerts state that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"A multi-day period of harmful winds and intense precipitation have begun and will cause devastating and dangerous sudden floods and multiple rock slides," counseled weather authorities.

The nation's leader Andrew Holness said: "I understand that there are many Jamaicans who are worried, who are very concerned, and with good reason: you should be concerned.

"However the optimal approach to manage worry and any nervousness and concern is to remain prepared."

Inhabitants are being instructed to protect their properties with protective bags and wooden boards, and to accumulate essentials.

Wider Impact

Alerts are also ongoing for parts of Haiti such as the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and the eastern part of Cuba, where Melissa is projected to bring comparable impacts by the midweek period.

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

Projected Trajectory

This weather system is predicted to pass over the island nation by midweek before traveling via the Antillas Mayores and entering the Atlantic.

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

Environmental Context

Even though it is hard to associate particular meteorological occurrences to environmental shifts, experts say it is resulting in climate patterns more prevalent and more severe.

Higher ocean heat generate more moisture in the environment, contributing to the creation of storms.

Prior to the start of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, climate agencies forecast above-normal activity, referencing warmer seas and possible more intense weather patterns around West Africa - where tropical systems often form.