Hurricane Beryl has strengthened into a top-level category 5 storm after impacting several islands in the southeastern Caribbean, causing heavy rain and destructive winds.
Beryl is now the earliest category 5 storm in the Atlantic on record and has evolved into a “potentially catastrophic” hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Early on Tuesday, the NHC reported that Beryl was “still intensifying,” with maximum sustained winds reaching nearly 165 miles (265 kilometers) per hour.
Grenada’s Carriacou Island experienced the storm’s “extremely dangerous eyewall” early Monday, with sustained winds exceeding 150 mph (240 kph), the NHC revealed.
Neighboring islands, such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, also faced “catastrophic winds and life-threatening storm surge,” the NHC added.
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell mentioned, “In half an hour, Carriacou was flattened,” during a news conference. Mitchell also stressed the importance of remaining indoors due to the ongoing state of emergency.
Video footage from St. George’s in Grenada showed heavy rainfall and strong winds affecting the area.
Grenada’s Prime Minister confirmed on social media that relief efforts were ongoing for both Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
– Unique early powerful storm –
Beryl became the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season on Saturday and quickly intensified.
Experts noted the rarity of such a powerful storm forming early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which typically lasts from early June to late November.
Beryl is the first hurricane to reach Category 4 in June and Category 5 in July since NHC records began.
“Only five major hurricanes have been recorded in the Atlantic before the first week of July,” stated hurricane expert Michael Lowry.
Barbados faced high winds and heavy rain from the storm but managed to avoid major damage.
Classes were canceled in several affected islands, and a regional meeting in Grenada was postponed.
Jamaica issued a hurricane warning ahead of Beryl’s expected arrival, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for the south coast of the Dominican Republic.
– Severe weather conditions –
A Category 3 or higher hurricane is considered a major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an “extraordinary” hurricane season with up to seven Category 3 or higher storms due to warm Atlantic Ocean temperatures and La Nina conditions.
Extreme weather events, like hurricanes, have become more frequent and devastating in recent years due to climate change.
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