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Hurricane Melissa is projected to become a rare category five storm as it veers towards Jamaica, bringing dangerous rapid inundation and rock falls.

The hurricane, which had winds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is presently veering northwest in the Caribbean and is expected to make landfall by early next week, as reported by weather experts.

Advisories of power cuts and structural damage have been issued as Melissa brings up to 30 inches of rainfall and storm surges as high as 4m above normal levels. "Find safe refuge immediately," inhabitants have been told.

Melissa is the thirteenth hurricane in this year's Atlantic hurricane season, which usually concludes in the eleventh month.

Highest-Level Storm Risk

A category five storm is the strongest type, with sustained winds of at least 252 km/h.

While this storm is set to weaken to a Category 4 storm before arriving at Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "very little practical difference in the general consequences" upon making contact with land, and that the cyclone will be "equally strong" when it strikes the nation.

Urgent Safety Steps

With tropical storm-level winds and rain predicted to begin well before it crosses central Jamaica - possibly even the capital, Kingston - warnings state that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"An extended timeframe of damaging winds and torrential rain has started and will cause devastating and dangerous sudden floods and many mudslides," counseled weather authorities.

The country's head of government Andrew Holness said: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are concerned, who are deeply troubled, and with good reason: worry is natural.

"However the optimal approach to handle nervousness and any unease and concern is to be prepared."

Locals are being instructed to protect their properties with sand barriers and plywood sheets, and to gather necessary supplies.

Wider Consequences

Alerts are also active for areas in Haiti including the capital, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and eastern Cuba, where the hurricane is expected to bring comparable impacts by the midweek period.

Landslides currently triggered by the storm have caused two deaths in Haiti, according to emergency services.

Expected Trajectory

The hurricane is projected to pass over the island nation by midweek before traveling via the Antillas Mayores and entering the Atlantic.

By the point it arrives at the Caribbean nation, it is anticipated to have weakened to a category three cyclone.

Weather Context

Although it is challenging to link specific storms to climate change, scientists say it is resulting in weather phenomena increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Higher ocean heat generate more moisture in the air, contributing to the formation of hurricanes.

Ahead of the beginning of the current Atlantic hurricane season, meteorological authorities predicted increased storm frequency, mentioning elevated ocean temperatures and likely stronger monsoon activity around African coastal regions - where tropical systems often form.