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Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to strengthen into a rare category five cyclone as it turns towards the Caribbean island, causing life-threatening rapid inundation and rock falls.

The hurricane, which recorded wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is presently veering toward the northwest in the Caribbean region and is expected to make landfall by Tuesday, based on data from weather experts.

Advisories of electricity outages and structural damage have been issued as Melissa generates up to 76cm of precipitation and storm surges as high as 13ft above ground. "Find safe refuge immediately," locals have been advised.

Melissa is the 13th named storm in the ongoing Atlantic storm period, which normally finishes in late autumn.

Highest-Level Cyclone Danger

A category five storm is the most intense classification, with winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

Although the hurricane is set to reduce in intensity to a fourth-level cyclone before making landfall on the island, experts said there was "very little practical difference in the overall impacts" upon making contact with land, and that the cyclone will be "at least that intensity" when it impacts the country.

Immediate Preparations

With tropical storm-level gusts and precipitation anticipated well in advance ahead of it moves across central Jamaica - including potentially the city of Kingston - warnings emphasize that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"An extended timeframe of destructive gusts and heavy rainfall has started and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening sudden floods and multiple mudslides," advised weather authorities.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated: "I understand that there are numerous residents who are anxious, who are very concerned, and with good reason: worry is natural.

"Yet the optimal approach to handle worry and any apprehension and anxiety is to be prepared."

Residents are being told to protect their properties with sand barriers and timber panels, and to gather essentials.

Regional Impact

Warnings are also active for areas in the neighboring country encompassing the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and eastern Cuba, where this storm is anticipated to bring similar effects by the middle of next week.

Landslides presently generated by the cyclone have resulted in two fatalities in Haiti, according to emergency services.

Projected Path

This weather system is projected to move across Cuba by the middle of the week before passing across the Greater Antilles and out into the Atlantic.

By the time it reaches the Caribbean nation, it is anticipated to have weakened to a category three cyclone.

Environmental Background

Although it is hard to associate individual weather events to environmental shifts, experts say it is making weather phenomena more prevalent and more extreme.

Warmer oceans produce additional humidity in the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of tropical cyclones.

Ahead of the beginning of this season's Atlantic hurricane season, meteorological authorities projected higher-than-average occurrence, referencing heated marine conditions and likely enhanced seasonal rains around the western African continent - where hurricanes frequently develop.