Beryl has become the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, with forecasters warning it will rapidly intensify into a major storm, putting much of the southeast Caribbean on high alert.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Beryl, currently located about 595 miles east of Barbados in the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to turn into a “dangerous major hurricane” by the time it reaches the Windward Islands by late Sunday or Monday.
Hurricane warnings are in place for Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada, while tropical storm warnings and watches have been issued for Martinique, Tobago, and Dominica, according to the latest advisory from NHC.
In Bridgetown, Barbados, preparations are underway with cars lining up at gas stations, supermarkets bustling with shoppers stocking up on supplies, and properties being boarded up in anticipation of the storm.
A major hurricane is classified as a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds reaching at least 111 miles per hour.
The early formation of such a powerful storm in the Atlantic hurricane season, which typically runs from June to November, is rare, according to experts.
“Only five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher have formed in the Atlantic before the first week of July. Beryl would be the sixth and the earliest to form this far east in the tropical Atlantic,” noted hurricane expert Michael Lowry on social media.
As of Saturday night, Beryl’s maximum sustained winds have increased to 85 mph with higher gusts, and hurricane conditions are expected to hit the warning area by Sunday night, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and life-threatening winds and storm surge.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an “extraordinary” hurricane season with up to seven storms of Category 3 or higher this year, citing warm Atlantic ocean temperatures and La Nina conditions in the Pacific as contributing factors.
Climate change has been linked to the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including hurricanes, in recent years.
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