🔗 Share this article

Cyclone the storm is predicted to escalate to a infrequent category five cyclone as it turns toward Jamaica, bringing dangerous sudden floods and mudslides.

The hurricane, which registered wind speeds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean region and is expected to make landfall by Tuesday, based on data from weather experts.

Advisories of blackouts and disruption to utilities have been issued as this storm generates up to 76cm of precipitation and storm surges as high as 4m above normal levels. "Seek shelter now," inhabitants have been advised.

The cyclone is the 13th named cyclone in the current Atlantic storm period, which typically ends in late autumn.

Most Intense Cyclone Danger

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

Even though the hurricane is set to weaken to a fourth-level storm before making landfall on Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "almost no noticeable change in the general consequences" upon making contact with land, and that the hurricane will be "equally strong" when it strikes the nation.

Critical Preparations

With storm-force wind and rainfall predicted to begin long before it moves across the island's interior - perhaps encompassing the capital, Kingston - advisories state that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"An extended timeframe of damaging winds and heavy rainfall has started and will cause devastating and dangerous flash flooding and many mudslides," counseled climate experts.

The nation's leader Andrew Holness commented: "I understand that there are countless citizens who are anxious, who are very concerned, and appropriately: concern is justified.

"But the best way to handle nervousness and any nervousness and anxiety is to stay ready."

Locals are being advised to protect their properties with sandbags and timber panels, and to accumulate necessary supplies.

Regional Impact

Alerts are also ongoing for parts of Haiti including the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and the eastern part of Cuba, where the hurricane is projected to bring analogous consequences by the midweek period.

Landslides currently triggered by the cyclone have already killed two in Haiti, according to local authorities.

Future Course

Melissa is projected to cross the island nation by Wednesday before traveling via the Greater Antilles and emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

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

Weather Context

While it is hard to connect specific storms to environmental shifts, experts say it is making meteorological events more prevalent and more intense.

Higher ocean heat generate additional humidity in the air, aiding in the formation of hurricanes.

Before the commencement of the current Atlantic storm period, meteorological authorities predicted increased storm frequency, citing heated marine conditions and potential enhanced seasonal rains around the western African continent - where Atlantic storms frequently develop.