🔗 Share this article

Tropical Storm Melissa is predicted to become a uncommon category five storm as it shifts towards the Caribbean island, delivering life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.

The hurricane, which had wind speeds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is now shifting toward the northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is anticipated to make landfall by Tuesday, according to meteorological authorities.

Alerts of electricity outages and disruption to utilities have been released as this storm produces up to thirty inches of rainfall and sea level surges as high as 13ft above normal levels. "Find safe refuge immediately," inhabitants have been advised.

The cyclone is the thirteenth cyclone in the ongoing Atlantic storm period, which typically ends in November.

Most Intense Cyclone Threat

A Category 5 cyclone is the most powerful category, with sustained winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

While this storm is expected to weaken to a fourth-level cyclone before reaching Jamaica, authorities said there was "almost no noticeable change in the overall impacts" upon reaching the coast, and that the cyclone will be "at least that intensity" when it hits the island.

Immediate Readiness Measures

With tropical storm-strength gusts and precipitation predicted to begin ahead of it moves across Jamaica's central region - perhaps encompassing the national capital - warnings emphasize that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"Several days of harmful winds and intense precipitation has started and will cause devastating and dangerous sudden floods and numerous landslides," counseled weather authorities.

Jamaican Prime Minister the statesman said: "I realize that there are countless citizens who are worried, who are extremely apprehensive, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"But the best way to address worry and any nervousness and anxiety is to remain prepared."

Residents are being instructed to secure their homes with protective bags and plywood sheets, and to stock up on necessary supplies.

Broader Consequences

Advisories are also active for parts of Haiti including the capital, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and the eastern part of Cuba, where Melissa is projected to bring comparable impacts by the middle portion of the coming week.

Mudslides presently generated by the hurricane have already killed two in the country, according to local authorities.

Expected Trajectory

Melissa is predicted to pass over Cuba by the middle of the week before moving through the Antillas Mayores and emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

By the moment it reaches Cuba, it is forecast to have weakened to a Category 3 storm.

Environmental Background

Even though it is challenging to associate specific storms to environmental shifts, experts say it is causing climate patterns increasingly frequent and more intense.

Increased sea temperatures produce greater water vapor in the atmosphere, aiding in the development of tropical cyclones.

Ahead of the commencement of this year's Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies forecast above-normal activity, referencing elevated ocean temperatures and likely stronger monsoon activity around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms frequently develop.