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Hurricane Melissa is predicted to become a infrequent Category 5 storm as it shifts toward Jamaica, bringing deadly flash flooding and mudslides.

This weather system, which registered wind speeds of up to 195 km/h as of 06:00 GMT, is currently turning north-west in the Caribbean and is projected to reach land by Tuesday, based on data from hurricane specialists.

Warnings of electricity outages and structural damage have been released as the hurricane generates up to thirty inches of rainfall and coastal flooding as high as thirteen feet above typical tides. "Seek shelter now," locals have been advised.

The cyclone is the thirteenth storm in the current Atlantic hurricane season, which usually concludes in the eleventh month.

Highest-Level Cyclone Threat

A category five storm is the strongest type, with sustained winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

While this storm is projected to reduce in intensity to a fourth-level hurricane before making landfall on Jamaica, authorities said there was "very little practical difference in the general consequences" upon reaching the coast, and that the hurricane will be "just as powerful" when it impacts the island.

Immediate Readiness Measures

With tropical storm-strength wind and rainfall already expected long before it moves across Jamaica's central region - possibly even the national capital - alerts indicate that "readiness efforts must be accelerated".

"Several days of damaging winds and torrential rain are underway and will cause severe and deadly rapid water accumulation and numerous mudslides," advised climate experts.

The nation's leader the statesman said: "I understand that there are countless citizens who are anxious, who are deeply troubled, and with good reason: worry is natural.

"But the most effective method to address anxiety and any nervousness and anxiety is to be prepared."

Locals are being advised to protect their properties with protective bags and plywood sheets, and to accumulate basic necessities.

Broader Impact

Advisories are also ongoing for areas in Haiti encompassing the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and the eastern part of Cuba, where the hurricane is anticipated to bring comparable impacts by the middle of next week.

Mudslides presently generated by the hurricane have resulted in two fatalities in the country, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Expected Path

The hurricane is forecast to pass over the island nation by the middle of the week before moving through the Caribbean archipelago and emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

By the point it reaches Cuba, it is predicted to have reduced to a category three hurricane.

Climate Context

Although it is hard to associate individual weather events to climate change, researchers say it is making weather phenomena increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Increased sea temperatures generate greater water vapor in the air, contributing to the creation of tropical cyclones.

Ahead of the commencement of this season's Caribbean cyclone season, weather organizations projected above-normal activity, citing warmer seas and possible more intense weather patterns around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms frequently develop.