🔗 Share this article Hurricane the storm Grows Stronger As It Heads In the Direction of Jamaica The hurricane has impacted nearby countries Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to strengthen into a uncommon Category 5 storm as it shifts towards Jamaica, delivering deadly rapid inundation and rock falls. The cyclone, which registered wind speeds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean and is expected to hit the coast by Tuesday, according to hurricane specialists. Alerts of blackouts and disruption to utilities have been issued as Melissa produces up to 30 inches of rainfall and coastal flooding as high as thirteen feet above normal levels. "Find safe refuge immediately," locals have been told. Melissa is the 13th named storm in the current Atlantic storm period, which typically ends in late autumn. Category Five Hurricane Threat A highest-level cyclone is the most intense classification, with wind speeds of at least 157mph. Although Melissa is expected to weaken to a fourth-level storm before reaching Jamaica, authorities said there was "almost no noticeable change in the total effects" 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-level wind and rainfall predicted to begin ahead of it passes over central Jamaica - including potentially the city of Kingston - alerts indicate that "preparations should be rushed to completion". "Several days of harmful winds and intense precipitation are underway and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening sudden floods and multiple rock slides," counseled climate experts. The country's head of government Andrew Holness stated: "I understand that there are many Jamaicans who are anxious, who are very concerned, and appropriately: you should be concerned. "Yet the best way to manage nervousness and any unease and worry is to remain prepared." Locals are being told to fortify their houses with sandbags and timber panels, and to stock up on basic necessities. Broader Consequences Advisories are also active for regions of Haiti encompassing the main city, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and the eastern part of Cuba, where Melissa is expected to bring comparable impacts by the middle of next week. Mudslides presently generated by the cyclone have caused two deaths in the country, according to local authorities. Projected Path Melissa is projected to cross Cuba by the middle of the week before traveling via the Antillas Mayores and entering the Atlantic Ocean. By the time it reaches the Caribbean nation, it is predicted to have weakened to a Category 3 hurricane. Environmental Connection While it is challenging to connect individual weather events to global warming, researchers say it is making climate patterns increasingly frequent and more severe. Warmer oceans create more moisture in the atmosphere, contributing to the development of tropical cyclones. Prior to the commencement of the current Atlantic storm period, meteorological authorities projected higher-than-average occurrence, citing elevated ocean temperatures and possible stronger monsoon activity around West Africa - where Atlantic storms often form.