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Hurricane the storm is forecast to escalate to a infrequent category five cyclone as it veers towards Jamaica, delivering deadly flash flooding and landslides.

The cyclone, which registered winds of up to 195 km/h as of 0600 Greenwich Mean Time, is currently turning northwest in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to hit the coast by early next week, as reported by meteorological authorities.

Advisories of power cuts and structural damage have been announced as this storm brings up to thirty inches of rain and storm surges as high as thirteen feet above typical tides. "Seek shelter now," inhabitants have been told.

The cyclone is the 13th named hurricane in the current Atlantic hurricane season, which typically ends in November.

Highest-Level Storm Threat

A category five storm is the most intense classification, with sustained winds of at least 157mph.

Even though the hurricane is expected to reduce in intensity to a Category 4 storm before arriving at the island, experts said there was "almost no noticeable change in the overall impacts" upon landfall, and that the storm will be "at least that intensity" when it hits the nation.

Immediate Safety Steps

With storm-force winds and rain predicted to begin long before it passes over Jamaica's central region - perhaps encompassing the capital, Kingston - advisories emphasize that "safety measures need to be finalized quickly".

"A multi-day period of harmful winds and intense precipitation are underway and will cause catastrophic and life-threatening rapid water accumulation and many mudslides," counseled weather authorities.

The nation's leader the statesman stated: "I know that there are many Jamaicans who are anxious, who are very concerned, and with good reason: you should be concerned.

"Yet the most effective method to handle worry and any apprehension and worry is to remain prepared."

Residents are being advised to protect their properties with sand barriers and plywood sheets, and to accumulate basic necessities.

Regional Consequences

Warnings are also active for regions of Haiti such as the main city, Port au Prince, the Dominican Republic and the eastern part of Cuba, where the hurricane is anticipated to bring similar effects by the middle portion of the coming week.

Landslides presently generated by the cyclone have already killed two in the country, according to local authorities.

Expected Path

The hurricane is projected to pass over the island nation by midweek before moving through the Antillas Mayores and emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

By the point it arrives at Cuba, it is forecast to have diminished to a category three storm.

Environmental Background

Although it is hard to associate specific storms to climate change, experts say it is causing meteorological events increasingly frequent and more extreme.

Increased sea temperatures produce more moisture in the air, aiding in the development of storms.

Before the beginning of the current Caribbean cyclone season, climate agencies forecast higher-than-average occurrence, mentioning warmer seas and likely more intense weather patterns around African coastal regions - where Atlantic storms frequently develop.