🔗 Share this article

Hurricane Melissa is forecast to escalate to a rare category five hurricane as it turns in the direction of Jamaica, bringing dangerous sudden floods and rock falls.

This weather system, which had wind speeds of up to 120 mph as of 6:00 AM GMT, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean region and is expected to make landfall by midweek, based on data from hurricane specialists.

Advisories of blackouts and damage to infrastructure have been announced as the hurricane brings up to 76cm of rainfall and sea level surges as high as 4m above typical tides. "Seek shelter now," residents have been told.

Melissa is the 13th named storm in the ongoing Atlantic season, which typically ends in November.

Highest-Level Hurricane Danger

A highest-level storm is the most powerful category, with sustained winds of at least 252 km/h.

Although Melissa is projected to diminish in strength to a Category 4 cyclone before arriving at Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "almost no noticeable change in the total effects" upon landfall, and that the hurricane will be "just as powerful" when it strikes the island.

Immediate Preparations

With storm-force winds and rain already expected long before it moves across the island's interior - including potentially the capital, Kingston - advisories emphasize that "readiness efforts must be accelerated".

"An extended timeframe of destructive gusts and intense precipitation have begun and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening sudden floods and numerous rock slides," urged meteorological officials.

Jamaican Prime Minister the statesman commented: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are concerned, who are very concerned, and rightfully so: worry is natural.

"Yet the best way to handle nervousness and any apprehension and anxiety is to remain prepared."

Residents are being instructed to fortify their houses with sandbags and wooden boards, and to accumulate essentials.

Broader Consequences

Advisories are also active for parts of Haiti including the main city, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and the eastern part of Cuba, where this storm is expected to bring similar effects by the middle portion of the coming week.

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

Projected Trajectory

The hurricane is projected to pass over Cuba by Wednesday before traveling via the Caribbean archipelago and out into the open ocean.

By the time it reaches the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have reduced to a third-level storm.

Environmental Context

While it is difficult to connect individual weather events to environmental shifts, experts say it is resulting in meteorological events increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Warmer oceans create additional humidity in the environment, helping fuel the formation of hurricanes.

Before the start of this year's Atlantic storm period, weather organizations forecast above-normal activity, mentioning warmer seas and likely stronger monsoon activity around West Africa - where hurricanes frequently develop.