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Tropical Storm Melissa is projected to escalate to a infrequent highest-level cyclone as it shifts towards the Caribbean island, causing life-threatening flash flooding and landslides.

The cyclone, which recorded winds of up to 195 km/h as of 06:00 GMT, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean and is projected to reach land by Tuesday, based on data from hurricane specialists.

Advisories of electricity outages and structural damage have been issued as this storm brings up to 76cm of precipitation and sea level surges as high as thirteen feet above ground. "Seek shelter now," locals have been advised.

The cyclone is the 13th hurricane in the ongoing Atlantic season, which usually concludes in the eleventh month.

Most Intense Storm Risk

A highest-level storm is the most intense classification, with wind speeds of at least 157 miles per hour.

While Melissa is set to weaken to a fourth-level storm before making landfall on Jamaica, experts said there was "very little practical difference in the overall impacts" upon landfall, and that the cyclone will be "just as powerful" when it hits the country.

Immediate Readiness Measures

With storm-force wind and rainfall anticipated well in advance long before it crosses Jamaica's central region - including potentially the national capital - alerts state that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"A multi-day period of harmful winds and torrential rain has started and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and multiple landslides," counseled climate experts.

The nation's leader the official said: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are worried, who are deeply troubled, and appropriately: you should be concerned.

"But the best way to manage nervousness and any apprehension and anxiety is to remain prepared."

Residents are being told to protect their properties with sandbags and plywood sheets, and to gather basic necessities.

Regional Impact

Alerts are also active for regions of Haiti encompassing the capital, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and Cuba's eastern region, where Melissa is anticipated to bring analogous consequences by the middle of next week.

Rock slides presently generated by the hurricane have already killed two in the country, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.

Future Path

Melissa is projected to move across the island nation by midweek before passing across the Antillas Mayores and out into the open ocean.

By the moment it reaches the Caribbean nation, it is predicted to have weakened to a Category 3 storm.

Environmental Connection

While it is difficult to associate particular meteorological occurrences to global warming, scientists say it is making weather phenomena increasingly frequent and more intense.

Increased sea temperatures create additional humidity in the atmosphere, contributing to the creation of storms.

Ahead of the beginning of this year's Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies projected above-normal activity, citing warmer seas and likely more intense weather patterns around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms often form.