Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, intensified into a “very dangerous” Category 3 storm on Sunday morning, posing a threat to the southeast Caribbean with potential life-threatening winds and storm surge, according to US forecasters.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Beryl, currently located in the Atlantic Ocean about 420 miles (675 kilometers) east of Barbados, is “continuing to quickly strengthen this Sunday morning.”
“The storm has now become a very dangerous Category 3 hurricane,” the NHC stated, cautioning that the storm’s eye is expected to pass over the Windward Islands early on Monday, affecting islands like Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Grenada.
Beryl is “continuing to rapidly intensify,” according to the NHC forecast, with predictions that the storm will further strengthen into an “extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane” by the time it reaches those Caribbean communities.
Meanwhile, in the Barbadian capital of Bridgetown, gas stations were filled with cars, supermarkets were busy with shoppers purchasing supplies, and some households started boarding up their properties in preparation.
Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Tobago were all under hurricane warnings, while Martinique and Dominica were under tropical storm warnings or watches, as per the latest advisory from the NHC.
– Devastating wind damage –
A Category 3 or higher hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale is classified as a major hurricane, with a Category 4 storm having sustained winds of at least 130 miles per hour (209 kilometers per hour).
Beryl’s maximum sustained winds had reached nearly 115 mph, as reported by the NHC around 8:00 am (1200 GMT) on Sunday, warning of “life-threatening winds and storm surge” in the Windward Islands.
Experts noted that such a powerful storm forming early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from early June to late November, is highly uncommon.
“Only five major hurricanes (Category 3+) have been documented in the Atlantic before the first week of July. Beryl would be the sixth and the earliest to occur this far east in the tropical Atlantic,” hurricane expert Michael Lowry shared on social media.
“Hurricane conditions are expected to begin in the hurricane warning area early on Monday,” stated the NHC, warning of heavy rain, flooding, and storm surge that could elevate water levels by up to nine feet (2.7 meters) above normal.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration anticipated an “extraordinary” hurricane season this year, with up to seven storms of Category 3 or higher, attributing the increase in storms to warm Atlantic ocean temperatures and La Nina conditions in the Pacific.
Climate change has led to more frequent and devastating extreme weather events, including hurricanes, in recent years.
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