Cyclone the storm Grows Stronger While Heads Toward Jamaica
Hurricane the storm is forecast to become a rare Category 5 hurricane as it veers towards the Caribbean island, delivering deadly flash flooding and rock falls.
The hurricane, which recorded winds of up to 195 km/h as of 6:00 AM GMT, is now shifting north-west in the Caribbean and is expected to hit the coast by midweek, based on data from hurricane specialists.
Warnings of power cuts and damage to infrastructure have been released as this storm brings up to 76cm of precipitation and sea level surges as high as thirteen feet above normal levels. "Take cover without delay," inhabitants have been advised.
Melissa is the 13th hurricane in the current Atlantic storm period, which typically ends in November.
Most Intense Hurricane Risk
A highest-level hurricane is the most powerful category, with sustained winds of at least 157mph.
Even though the hurricane is expected to reduce in intensity to a fourth-level cyclone before reaching the island, meteorologists said there was "minimal real distinction in the overall impacts" upon reaching the coast, and that the storm will be "just as powerful" when it strikes the nation.
Critical Safety Steps
With tropical storm-level wind and rainfall already expected well before it moves across Jamaica's central region - perhaps encompassing the national capital - warnings state that "preparations should be rushed to completion".
"A multi-day period of destructive gusts and heavy rainfall are underway and will cause severe and deadly sudden floods and many rock slides," advised climate experts.
The nation's leader the statesman said: "I understand that there are many Jamaicans who are anxious, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: you should be concerned.
"Yet the best way to address anxiety and any unease and anxiety is to be prepared."
Locals are being instructed to fortify their houses with sandbags and plywood sheets, and to gather basic necessities.
Broader Effects
Advisories are also ongoing for parts of Haiti such as the capital, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and Cuba's eastern region, where the hurricane is anticipated to bring analogous consequences by the midweek period.
Landslides presently generated by the hurricane have resulted in two fatalities in the country, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.
Future Trajectory
This weather system is projected to pass over Cuba by the middle of the week before moving through the Antillas Mayores and out into the Atlantic.
By the point it arrives at the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have weakened to a Category 3 storm.
Environmental Background
While it is hard to associate individual weather events to climate change, experts say it is making climate patterns more common and more intense.
Warmer oceans create additional humidity in the air, helping fuel the development of storms.
Prior to the start of this year's Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies forecast above-normal activity, citing heated marine conditions and possible more intense weather patterns around the western African continent - where tropical systems often form.
