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Cyclone Melissa is projected to become a uncommon Category 5 cyclone as it turns in the direction of the Caribbean island, causing dangerous sudden floods and mudslides.

The hurricane, which recorded wind speeds of up to 195 km/h as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is projected to make landfall by Tuesday, according to weather experts.

Warnings of electricity outages and disruption to utilities have been issued as this storm brings up to 30 inches of rainfall and sea level surges as high as 13ft above normal levels. "Take cover without delay," residents have been advised.

The cyclone is the 13th named storm in the ongoing Atlantic season, which typically ends in late autumn.

Category Five Cyclone Threat

A highest-level hurricane is the most intense classification, with sustained winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

Although the hurricane is set to diminish in strength to a fourth-level hurricane before reaching Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "almost no noticeable change in the overall impacts" upon making contact with land, and that the storm will be "just as powerful" when it impacts the island.

Critical Readiness Measures

With storm-force gusts and precipitation already expected well before it crosses central Jamaica - perhaps encompassing the national capital - advisories indicate that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"A multi-day period of destructive gusts and intense precipitation are underway and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening sudden floods and many mudslides," urged climate experts.

The nation's leader Andrew Holness commented: "I understand that there are countless citizens who are concerned, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"However the best way to handle nervousness and any apprehension and concern is to stay ready."

Inhabitants are being told to protect their properties with sand barriers and plywood sheets, and to accumulate necessary supplies.

Wider Effects

Advisories are also active for areas in the neighboring country including the main city, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and Cuba's eastern region, where Melissa is projected to bring similar effects by the midweek period.

Mudslides presently generated by the storm have resulted in two fatalities in Haiti, according to local authorities.

Future Path

The hurricane is predicted to cross Cuba by the middle of the week before traveling via the Antillas Mayores and entering the Atlantic Ocean.

By the time it arrives at Cuba, it is anticipated to have weakened to a third-level hurricane.

Climate Background

Although it is challenging to connect specific storms to environmental shifts, experts say it is causing climate patterns increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Higher ocean heat produce more moisture in the environment, helping fuel the formation of storms.

Before the commencement of this season's Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies projected increased storm frequency, citing elevated ocean temperatures and possible more intense weather patterns around West Africa - where hurricanes frequently develop.