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Tropical Storm Melissa is predicted to escalate to a rare highest-level storm as it shifts towards Jamaica, delivering dangerous rapid inundation and mudslides.

The cyclone, which registered winds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is now shifting northwest in the Caribbean and is anticipated to hit the coast by midweek, according to hurricane specialists.

Advisories of power cuts and structural damage have been released as this storm brings up to 76cm of rain and coastal flooding as high as 4m above typical tides. "Seek shelter now," locals have been advised.

Melissa is the thirteenth cyclone in this year's Atlantic hurricane season, which normally finishes in the eleventh month.

Category Five Storm Risk

A Category 5 cyclone is the strongest type, with wind speeds of at least 157mph.

While Melissa is set to weaken to a fourth-level storm before making landfall on the island, meteorologists said there was "minimal real distinction in the overall impacts" upon reaching the coast, and that the cyclone will be "just as powerful" when it hits the island.

Urgent Safety Steps

With tropical storm-strength winds and rain already expected long before it moves across Jamaica's central region - possibly even the city of Kingston - advisories emphasize that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"Several days of harmful winds and torrential rain have begun and will cause devastating and dangerous sudden floods and many landslides," advised meteorological officials.

The country's head of government the statesman stated: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are worried, who are extremely apprehensive, and with good reason: worry is natural.

"Yet the most effective method to handle worry and any nervousness and anxiety is to stay ready."

Inhabitants are being instructed to fortify their houses with sandbags and wooden boards, and to stock up on necessary supplies.

Broader Impact

Advisories are also active for regions of Haiti encompassing the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and the eastern part of Cuba, where the hurricane is expected to bring analogous consequences by the midweek period.

Rock slides presently generated by the cyclone have resulted in two fatalities in Haiti, according to emergency services.

Future Path

The hurricane is projected to cross the island nation by Wednesday before passing across the Antillas Mayores and emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

By the point it makes contact with Cuba, it is forecast to have diminished to a Category 3 storm.

Environmental Background

Although it is hard to connect individual weather events to global warming, researchers say it is resulting in meteorological events increasingly frequent and more intense.

Increased sea temperatures produce more moisture in the environment, aiding in the development of tropical cyclones.

Prior to the beginning of the current Atlantic storm period, climate agencies predicted increased storm frequency, referencing elevated ocean temperatures and likely more intense weather patterns around West Africa - where hurricanes frequently develop.