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Hurricane Melissa is predicted to become a rare highest-level cyclone as it shifts towards the Caribbean island, causing dangerous sudden floods and mudslides.

The cyclone, which had wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is now shifting toward the northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is projected to make landfall by midweek, based on data from meteorological authorities.

Advisories of electricity outages and structural damage have been issued as the hurricane brings up to 76cm of precipitation and storm surges as high as 4m above ground. "Find safe refuge immediately," inhabitants have been urged.

Melissa is the 13th hurricane in the current Atlantic season, which typically ends in late autumn.

Category Five Cyclone Risk

A Category 5 cyclone is the most intense classification, with sustained winds of at least 252 km/h.

While the hurricane is set to diminish in strength to a category four hurricane before arriving at Jamaica, 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 impacts the island.

Immediate Safety Steps

With tropical storm-level winds and rain already expected long before it passes over central Jamaica - perhaps encompassing the city of Kingston - warnings emphasize that "preparations should be rushed to completion".

"An extended timeframe of destructive gusts and heavy rainfall are underway and will cause severe and deadly sudden floods and numerous landslides," counseled climate experts.

Jamaican Prime Minister the official stated: "I know that there are numerous residents who are worried, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: concern is justified.

"However the optimal approach to address worry and any apprehension and anxiety is to be prepared."

Locals are being instructed to fortify their houses with protective bags and plywood sheets, and to accumulate basic necessities.

Broader Impact

Alerts are also active for areas in the neighboring country including the main city, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba, where this storm is projected to bring analogous consequences by the middle portion of the coming week.

Rock slides currently triggered by the hurricane have already killed two in Haiti, according to local authorities.

Expected Course

Melissa is forecast to cross the island nation by the middle of the week before traveling via the Caribbean archipelago and out into the Atlantic.

By the point it makes contact with Cuba, it is anticipated to have weakened to a category three storm.

Environmental Background

Even though it is challenging to link individual weather events to environmental shifts, researchers say it is making meteorological events more prevalent and more intense.

Warmer oceans produce more moisture in the atmosphere, contributing to the development of storms.

Ahead of the start of this season's Caribbean cyclone season, weather organizations projected higher-than-average occurrence, mentioning warmer seas and possible more intense weather patterns around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms often form.