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Hurricane the storm is projected to become a rare Category 5 storm as it turns towards Jamaica, bringing dangerous rapid inundation and rock falls.

The cyclone, which registered winds of up to 195 km/h as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean and is projected to make landfall by Tuesday, according to weather experts.

Advisories of electricity outages and structural damage have been released as this storm generates up to 76cm of rainfall and storm surges as high as 13ft above normal levels. "Find safe refuge immediately," residents have been told.

This hurricane is the thirteenth cyclone in the current Atlantic storm period, which usually concludes in the eleventh month.

Category Five Hurricane Danger

A highest-level hurricane is the strongest type, with sustained winds of at least 157mph.

Although the hurricane is set to diminish in strength to a Category 4 storm before reaching Jamaica, authorities said there was "almost no noticeable change in the general consequences" upon landfall, and that the hurricane will be "just as powerful" when it impacts the nation.

Critical Safety Steps

With storm-force gusts and precipitation predicted to begin long before it moves across central Jamaica - perhaps encompassing the national capital - advisories indicate that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"Several days of destructive gusts and heavy rainfall has started and will cause devastating and dangerous rapid water accumulation and multiple rock slides," advised weather authorities.

The country's head of government Andrew Holness stated: "I understand that there are numerous residents who are anxious, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"Yet the optimal approach to address worry and any apprehension and anxiety is to stay ready."

Residents are being advised to fortify their houses with sand barriers and plywood sheets, and to gather necessary supplies.

Regional Consequences

Advisories are also ongoing for regions of Haiti encompassing the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and eastern Cuba, where this storm is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle portion of the coming week.

Landslides currently triggered by the hurricane have resulted in two fatalities in the country, according to emergency services.

Projected Trajectory

Melissa is predicted to move across the island nation by Wednesday before traveling via the Antillas Mayores and out into the Atlantic Ocean.

By the time it arrives at Cuba, it is predicted to have diminished to a third-level cyclone.

Environmental Background

Although it is challenging to link specific storms to climate change, researchers say it is resulting in weather phenomena more common and more severe.

Higher ocean heat produce additional humidity in the environment, aiding in the development of tropical cyclones.

Prior to the start of this season's Atlantic hurricane season, weather organizations projected above-normal activity, referencing elevated ocean temperatures and potential enhanced seasonal rains around West Africa - where tropical systems typically originate.