Hurricane Melissa Grows Stronger While Heads Towards the Island Nation
Tropical Storm Melissa is projected to strengthen into a rare category five cyclone as it turns toward Jamaica, delivering deadly sudden floods and landslides.
The hurricane, which had winds of up to 195 km/h as of 06:00 GMT, is now shifting toward the northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to make landfall by Tuesday, according to weather experts.
Advisories of power cuts and damage to infrastructure have been released as Melissa produces up to thirty inches of precipitation and sea level surges as high as thirteen feet above normal levels. "Take cover without delay," inhabitants have been told.
Melissa is the thirteenth cyclone in this year's Atlantic hurricane season, which normally finishes in the eleventh month.
Highest-Level Cyclone Risk
A highest-level cyclone is the strongest type, with sustained winds of at least 157 miles per hour.
Although this storm is expected to weaken to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall on Jamaica, experts said there was "very little practical difference in the general consequences" upon reaching the coast, and that the storm will be "at least that intensity" when it impacts the country.
Immediate Preparations
With storm-force gusts and precipitation already expected well before it passes over the island's interior - including potentially the city of Kingston - alerts state that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".
"Several days of destructive gusts and heavy rainfall has started and will cause devastating and dangerous flash flooding and many landslides," urged climate experts.
The country's head of government the statesman commented: "I understand that there are countless citizens who are concerned, who are very concerned, and appropriately: worry is natural.
"Yet the most effective method to handle nervousness and any unease and worry is to stay ready."
Residents are being advised to fortify their houses with sandbags and plywood sheets, and to stock up on essentials.
Broader Consequences
Warnings are also active for areas in Haiti including the main city, Port au Prince, the adjacent nation and Cuba's eastern region, where Melissa is projected to bring similar effects by the middle of next week.
Rock slides presently generated by the hurricane have caused two deaths in Haiti, according to emergency services.
Expected Course
This weather system is predicted to move across the island nation by the middle of the week before passing across the Caribbean archipelago and entering the Atlantic Ocean.
By the time it reaches Cuba, it is predicted to have diminished to a third-level storm.
Weather Connection
While it is challenging to connect specific storms to global warming, experts say it is resulting in climate patterns increasingly frequent and more intense.
Higher ocean heat generate additional humidity in the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of tropical cyclones.
Before the start of this year's Atlantic storm period, meteorological authorities forecast higher-than-average occurrence, mentioning heated marine conditions and potential enhanced seasonal rains around the western African continent - where tropical systems frequently develop.