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Cyclone Melissa is forecast to escalate to a rare Category 5 hurricane as it shifts towards the Caribbean island, causing deadly flash flooding and landslides.

The cyclone, which recorded wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 06:00 GMT, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean and is expected to hit the coast by midweek, based on data from hurricane specialists.

Alerts of electricity outages and damage to infrastructure have been announced as this storm brings up to 30 inches of rain and coastal flooding as high as thirteen feet above ground. "Seek shelter now," inhabitants have been told.

The cyclone is the thirteenth storm in this year's Atlantic storm period, which usually concludes in late autumn.

Highest-Level Storm Risk

A highest-level storm is the strongest type, with wind speeds of at least 252 km/h.

Although the hurricane is projected to reduce in intensity to a fourth-level cyclone before reaching the island, authorities said there was "very little practical difference in the general consequences" upon reaching the coast, and that the storm will be "at least that intensity" when it hits the country.

Critical Preparations

With tropical storm-level gusts and precipitation already expected well before it crosses Jamaica's central region - including potentially the capital, Kingston - advisories indicate that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"An extended timeframe of harmful winds and intense precipitation have begun and will cause devastating and dangerous rapid water accumulation and multiple mudslides," advised meteorological officials.

Jamaican Prime Minister the statesman commented: "I realize that there are many Jamaicans who are worried, who are very concerned, and appropriately: concern is justified.

"However the optimal approach to handle nervousness and any apprehension and anxiety is to be prepared."

Locals are being told to protect their properties with sand barriers and timber panels, and to gather essentials.

Regional Impact

Alerts are also ongoing for parts of Haiti encompassing the capital, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba, where the hurricane is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle portion of the coming week.

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

Expected Path

This weather system is forecast to pass over the island nation by the middle of the week before moving through the Greater Antilles and entering the Atlantic Ocean.

By the point it makes contact with the Caribbean nation, it is anticipated to have weakened to a third-level cyclone.

Environmental Context

While it is difficult to associate individual weather events to climate change, scientists say it is resulting in meteorological events increasingly frequent and more severe.

Higher ocean heat produce more moisture in the environment, helping fuel the formation of storms.

Before the beginning of the current Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies forecast increased storm frequency, referencing elevated ocean temperatures and likely stronger monsoon activity around African coastal regions - where tropical systems typically originate.