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Hurricane Melissa is predicted to escalate to a infrequent Category 5 cyclone as it turns towards Jamaica, causing dangerous sudden floods and mudslides.

The hurricane, which registered wind speeds of up to 195 km/h as of 06:00 GMT, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to reach land by midweek, according to weather experts.

Alerts of power cuts and damage to infrastructure have been issued as the hurricane generates up to 30 inches of rain and coastal flooding as high as 4m above typical tides. "Find safe refuge immediately," residents have been advised.

This hurricane is the thirteenth cyclone in the current Atlantic hurricane season, which normally finishes in late autumn.

Highest-Level Hurricane Threat

A category five hurricane is the most intense classification, with sustained winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

While Melissa is expected to diminish in strength to a Category 4 storm before arriving at the island, authorities said there was "very little practical difference in the total effects" upon reaching the coast, and that the hurricane will be "equally strong" when it strikes the island.

Immediate Safety Steps

With storm-force wind and rainfall already expected well before it passes over central Jamaica - perhaps encompassing the national capital - alerts indicate that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"An extended timeframe of harmful winds and torrential rain has started and will cause devastating and dangerous sudden floods and many landslides," urged climate experts.

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

"But the best way to address worry and any nervousness and concern is to be prepared."

Inhabitants are being instructed to fortify their houses with sand barriers and plywood sheets, and to stock up on basic necessities.

Broader Impact

Advisories are also ongoing for regions of the neighboring country including the primary urban center, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba, where Melissa is expected to bring analogous consequences by the midweek period.

Mudslides presently generated by the hurricane have resulted in two fatalities in Haiti, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Projected Course

Melissa is projected to move across Cuba by midweek before moving through the Greater Antilles and out into the open ocean.

By the point it arrives at the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have reduced to a third-level hurricane.

Environmental Background

Even though it is hard to associate particular meteorological occurrences to environmental shifts, experts say it is causing climate patterns increasingly frequent and more severe.

Warmer oceans generate more moisture in the environment, aiding in the formation of hurricanes.

Prior to the commencement of this season's Caribbean cyclone season, weather organizations forecast above-normal activity, citing elevated ocean temperatures and possible more intense weather patterns around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms typically originate.