Hurricane Beryl is expected to remain a “very dangerous” Category 4 storm as it hits the southeastern Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. Forecasters have warned that the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season will bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to the Windward Islands early Monday morning.
As of 4 p.m. ET, Beryl was located about 250 miles east-southeast of Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and moving west at 18 mph.
Hurricane warnings have been issued in Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Tobago. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Martinique, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica and Trinidad.
“This is developing into a very severe situation in the Windward Islands,” the National Hurricane Center in Miami warned. The center said Beryl “is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge … making it a very dangerous hurricane.”
Beryl is expected to pass through the Windward Islands on Monday morning, developing into a very dangerous Category 4 hurricane, and is expected to pass through the southeastern Caribbean on Monday night and Tuesday.
Two hurricane hunters were heading into the storm to gather more information about its intensity, according to the National Hurricane Center.
NOAA
historic hurricane
According to hurricane expert Sam Lillo, it took just 42 hours for Beryl to strengthen from a tropical depression to a major hurricane. This is a feat that has only been accomplished six times in Atlantic hurricane history, with the earliest date being September 1.
Hurricane expert and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Beryl was the third Category 3 hurricane recorded in June in the Atlantic, following Audrey in 1957 and Alma in 1966.
“Beryl is a very dangerous and rare hurricane for this time of year for this region,” he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “Unusual is an understatement: Beryl is already a historic hurricane and has yet to hit.”
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan was the last powerful hurricane to hit the southeastern Caribbean, causing catastrophic damage to Grenada as a Category 3 storm.
“This is a serious threat, a very serious threat,” Laurie said of Beryl.
Beryl is the second named storm in the busy hurricane season that runs in the Atlantic from June 1 to November 30. Last week, Tropical Storm Alberto brought it Heavy rains have hit parts of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. At least four people have died in the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Veracruz.
Beryl is the easternmost of the hurricanes that formed in June and one of only two to form in the eastern Caribbean, the other occurring in 1933, according to CBS News weather producer David Parkinson. Parkinson expects Beryl to stay south of Jamaica and take at least eight days to impact the United States.
Warm ocean waters are fueling the beryl, with ocean heat content in the deep Atlantic Ocean at its highest on record for this time of year, according to University of Miami tropical meteorology researcher Brian McNoldy.
Forecasters warned that Beryl could bring life-threatening storm surges of up to 9 feet (2.7 m) where it makes landfall, and that Barbados and nearby islands could receive up to 6 inches (15 cm) of rain.
prepare for a storm
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Long lines formed at gas stations and grocery stores in Barbados and other islands as people rushed to prepare for a storm that developed into a tropical storm with 35 mph winds on Friday and quickly strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday.
“We must be prepared,” Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said in a public address late Friday. “You and I know that when something like this happens, it’s better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
She noted that thousands of people were in Barbados on Saturday. Twenty20 World Cup Cricket FinalIndia beat South Africa in the capital Bridgetown on Saturday in what is considered cricket’s biggest event.
Meanwhile, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said in a public address on Saturday that shelters would open on Sunday evening, urging people to prepare. He ordered officials to refuel government vehicles and asked grocery stores and gas stations to open later in the day before the storm.
“Take this very seriously and be prepared.” Gonsalves said. “This is a terrible hurricane.”
Caribbean leaders were bracing for a series of thunderstorms that would follow not only Beryl, but the hurricane, which had a 70 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone.
“Don’t let your guard down,” Mottley said.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the first hurricane of the season typically occurs in early to mid-August, so it was unusual for Beryl to reach hurricane strength. in report The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, released last month, predicted an “above-average” hurricane season with 17 to 25 storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes and 4 to 7 major Category 3 or higher hurricanes. An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 storms, 7 of which are hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.
A tropical storm is a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph, while a hurricane is It is defined A tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or greater.
