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Tropical Storm Melissa is projected to escalate to a infrequent category five cyclone as it shifts towards Jamaica, delivering life-threatening rapid inundation and rock falls.

This weather system, which had winds of up to 120 mph as of 06:00 GMT, is now shifting north-west in the Caribbean Sea and is projected to make landfall by Tuesday, according to hurricane specialists.

Alerts of power cuts and structural damage have been released as this storm brings up to 76cm of precipitation and sea level surges as high as thirteen feet above normal levels. "Find safe refuge immediately," inhabitants have been advised.

The cyclone is the 13th hurricane in the current Atlantic season, which typically ends in the eleventh month.

Highest-Level Storm Risk

A Category 5 cyclone is the most powerful category, with wind speeds of at least 157 miles per hour.

While Melissa is set to weaken to a Category 4 cyclone before arriving at the island, meteorologists said there was "minimal real distinction in the general consequences" upon making contact with land, and that the hurricane will be "just as powerful" when it strikes the island.

Critical Readiness Measures

With tropical storm-strength winds and rain predicted to begin well before it crosses Jamaica's central region - including potentially the capital, Kingston - alerts state that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"Several days of harmful winds and heavy rainfall has started and will cause devastating and dangerous sudden floods and many landslides," urged meteorological officials.

The country's head of government Andrew Holness commented: "I realize that there are many Jamaicans who are anxious, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: worry is natural.

"However the optimal approach to manage nervousness and any unease and worry is to be prepared."

Residents are being instructed to fortify their houses with protective bags and plywood sheets, and to stock up on necessary supplies.

Broader Impact

Warnings are also ongoing for regions of the neighboring country including the primary urban center, the Dominican Republic and the eastern part of Cuba, where this storm is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle portion of the coming week.

Rock slides presently generated by the cyclone have already killed two in Haiti, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Projected Path

Melissa is predicted to cross the island nation by the middle of the week before passing across the Antillas Mayores and entering the Atlantic Ocean.

By the moment it reaches the Caribbean nation, it is anticipated to have diminished to a Category 3 cyclone.

Climate Connection

Although it is hard to associate individual weather events to environmental shifts, researchers say it is causing climate patterns more common and more severe.

Warmer oceans generate more moisture in the environment, aiding in the creation of hurricanes.

Before the start of the current Atlantic storm period, meteorological authorities projected increased storm frequency, referencing heated marine conditions and possible enhanced seasonal rains around West Africa - where Atlantic storms typically originate.