Hurricane the storm Intensifies As It Heads Towards Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa is predicted to strengthen into a infrequent category five cyclone as it shifts towards the Caribbean island, delivering deadly flash flooding and rock falls.
This weather system, which registered winds of up to 195 km/h as of 6:00 AM GMT, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean region and is expected to make landfall by Tuesday, as reported by weather experts.
Advisories of blackouts and damage to infrastructure have been issued as the hurricane generates up to 76cm of rainfall and sea level surges as high as 4m above ground. "Find safe refuge immediately," inhabitants have been advised.
Melissa is the thirteenth cyclone in the current Atlantic season, which usually concludes in the eleventh month.
Highest-Level Cyclone Danger
A highest-level cyclone is the most intense classification, with sustained winds of at least 252 km/h.
While Melissa is projected to diminish in strength to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall on Jamaica, meteorologists said there was "almost no noticeable change in the total effects" upon reaching the coast, and that the storm will be "equally strong" when it strikes the island.
Critical Safety Steps
With tropical storm-level gusts and precipitation already expected long before it moves across Jamaica's central region - perhaps encompassing the city of Kingston - alerts emphasize that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".
"A multi-day period of harmful winds and torrential rain have begun and will cause severe and deadly flash flooding and many rock slides," counseled meteorological officials.
The country's head of government the statesman stated: "I understand that there are many Jamaicans who are concerned, who are very concerned, and with good reason: you should be concerned.
"Yet the most effective method to manage worry and any nervousness and worry is to remain prepared."
Residents are being instructed to secure their homes with protective bags and timber panels, and to stock up on necessary supplies.
Broader Effects
Warnings are also in effect for regions of the neighboring country such as the primary urban center, the Dominican Republic and Cuba's eastern region, where this storm is expected to bring analogous consequences by the middle portion of the coming week.
Landslides currently triggered by the storm have already killed two in Haiti, according to the nation's Civil Protection agency.
Future Course
The hurricane is predicted to move across the island nation by Wednesday before moving through the Caribbean archipelago and entering the Atlantic.
By the point it makes contact with the Caribbean nation, it is predicted to have weakened to a third-level cyclone.
Weather Context
While it is difficult to link specific storms to climate change, scientists say it is resulting in climate patterns more prevalent and more extreme.
Increased sea temperatures generate greater water vapor in the atmosphere, helping fuel the development of hurricanes.
Ahead of the commencement of this season's Atlantic storm period, climate agencies projected increased storm frequency, referencing heated marine conditions and possible enhanced seasonal rains around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms often form.