Hurricane Melissa is predicted to become a infrequent Category 5 storm as it turns towards the Caribbean island, delivering deadly sudden floods and rock falls.
The hurricane, which recorded winds of up to 120 mph as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning toward the northwest in the Caribbean and is anticipated to make landfall by midweek, based on data from weather experts.
Alerts of blackouts and structural damage have been released as the hurricane brings up to 76cm of rainfall and coastal flooding as high as 4m above normal levels. "Find safe refuge immediately," locals have been advised.
The cyclone is the 13th named cyclone in this year's Atlantic hurricane season, which usually concludes in late autumn.
A highest-level storm is the strongest type, with wind speeds of at least 252 km/h.
Even though the hurricane is set to weaken to a category four storm before making landfall on the island, authorities said there was "almost no noticeable change in the overall impacts" upon making contact with land, and that the storm will be "just as powerful" when it strikes the nation.
With tropical storm-strength gusts and precipitation already expected long before it moves across central Jamaica - including potentially the national capital - warnings emphasize that "preparations should be rushed to completion".
"An extended timeframe of destructive gusts and intense precipitation are underway and will cause severe and deadly flash flooding and multiple landslides," counseled climate experts.
Jamaican Prime Minister the official commented: "I understand that there are many Jamaicans who are anxious, who are very concerned, and rightfully so: you should be concerned.
"However the optimal approach to address worry and any unease and worry is to stay ready."
Locals are being instructed to protect their properties with sandbags and plywood sheets, and to accumulate necessary supplies.
Warnings are also active for regions of Haiti such as the main city, Port au Prince, the neighboring country and eastern Cuba, where Melissa is anticipated to bring analogous consequences by the midweek period.
Rock slides presently generated by the hurricane have already killed two in Haiti, according to emergency services.
The hurricane is projected to move across the island nation by the middle of the week before traveling via the Greater Antilles and entering the open ocean.
By the moment it arrives at the Caribbean nation, it is forecast to have diminished to a category three cyclone.
Although it is hard to connect specific storms to environmental shifts, scientists say it is causing weather phenomena increasingly frequent and more extreme.
Higher ocean heat produce greater water vapor in the atmosphere, contributing to the creation of hurricanes.
Ahead of the start of the current Caribbean cyclone season, weather organizations forecast higher-than-average occurrence, mentioning heated marine conditions and potential stronger monsoon activity around the western African continent - where Atlantic storms frequently develop.
Milan is een ervaren opticien met een passie voor visuele technologie en klantgerichtheid.
