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Hurricane Melissa is predicted to strengthen into a infrequent highest-level cyclone as it shifts towards Jamaica, delivering life-threatening rapid inundation and rock falls.

This weather system, which registered wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 06:00 GMT, is now shifting northwest in the Caribbean and is expected to hit the coast by early next week, as reported by weather experts.

Warnings of power cuts and damage to infrastructure have been issued as this storm generates up to 30 inches of precipitation and coastal flooding as high as 4m above ground. "Find safe refuge immediately," inhabitants have been advised.

Melissa is the 13th named cyclone in the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season, which typically ends in the eleventh month.

Most Intense Hurricane Danger

A Category 5 cyclone is the strongest type, with winds of at least 252 km/h.

Even though Melissa is projected to weaken to a fourth-level storm before arriving at the island, authorities said there was "very little practical difference in the total effects" upon making contact with land, and that the storm will be "equally strong" when it impacts the nation.

Critical Safety Steps

With tropical storm-strength winds and rain already expected well before it moves across central Jamaica - including potentially the city of Kingston - advisories emphasize that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"A multi-day period of harmful winds and heavy rainfall has started and will cause severe and deadly flash flooding and many rock slides," urged climate experts.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness commented: "I know that there are countless citizens who are concerned, who are very concerned, and with good reason: concern is justified.

"Yet the best way to address worry and any unease and worry is to stay ready."

Locals are being instructed to protect their properties with sand barriers and timber panels, and to stock up on essentials.

Wider Impact

Warnings are also ongoing for parts of Haiti such as the primary urban center, the Dominican Republic and the eastern part of Cuba, where the hurricane is projected to bring comparable impacts by the midweek period.

Mudslides currently triggered by the cyclone have resulted in two fatalities in Haiti, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Expected Course

The hurricane is projected to pass over the island nation by midweek before moving through the Caribbean archipelago and entering the Atlantic.

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

Weather Context

Even though it is hard to link specific storms to environmental shifts, scientists say it is resulting in meteorological events increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Increased sea temperatures create more moisture in the environment, helping fuel the development of tropical cyclones.

Before the start of the current Atlantic storm period, weather organizations projected above-normal activity, referencing heated marine conditions and possible enhanced seasonal rains around African coastal regions - where tropical systems typically originate.