🔗 Share this article Tropical Storm Melissa Gains Power As It Heads Toward Jamaica This powerful storm has already affected nearby countries Tropical Storm the storm is forecast to become a rare Category 5 storm as it veers towards Jamaica, bringing deadly sudden floods and rock falls. The hurricane, which recorded winds of up to 195 km/h as of 06:00 GMT, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean region and is projected to reach land by midweek, as reported by hurricane specialists. Alerts of electricity outages and damage to infrastructure have been announced as the hurricane produces up to thirty inches of precipitation and coastal flooding as high as 13ft above normal levels. "Seek shelter now," inhabitants have been told. Melissa is the 13th storm in the current Atlantic storm period, which usually concludes in late autumn. Category Five Storm Threat A category five cyclone is the most powerful category, with sustained winds of at least 157 miles per hour. While the hurricane is expected to diminish in strength to a category four storm before making landfall on the island, meteorologists said there was "almost no noticeable change in the overall impacts" upon making contact with land, and that the hurricane will be "at least that intensity" when it strikes the nation. Immediate Safety Steps With storm-force wind and rainfall already expected long before it passes over central Jamaica - possibly even the national capital - alerts state that "readiness efforts must be accelerated". "A multi-day period of harmful winds and intense precipitation are underway and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and multiple mudslides," urged climate experts. The nation's leader the statesman commented: "I realize that there are numerous residents who are concerned, who are extremely apprehensive, and rightfully so: concern is justified. "But the optimal approach to address nervousness and any apprehension and anxiety is to be prepared." Inhabitants are being instructed to fortify their houses with protective bags and wooden boards, and to accumulate necessary supplies. Regional Consequences Alerts are also ongoing for regions of the neighboring country encompassing the main city, Port au Prince, the adjacent nation and Cuba's eastern region, where this storm is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle portion of the coming week. Mudslides presently generated by the cyclone have caused two deaths in Haiti, according to local authorities. Future Course Melissa is predicted to pass over the island nation by Wednesday before traveling via the Antillas Mayores and emerging into the Atlantic. By the moment it reaches the Caribbean nation, it is predicted to have diminished to a third-level hurricane. Climate Background Even though it is challenging to link individual weather events to global warming, researchers say it is causing weather phenomena more common and more intense. Warmer oceans generate more moisture in the atmosphere, contributing to the creation of storms. Ahead of the beginning of this season's Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies forecast above-normal activity, citing warmer seas and possible enhanced seasonal rains around the western African continent - where tropical systems often form.