Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season, strengthened on Sunday, becoming a high-octane Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph as it hurtled toward the Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center said a surveillance aircraft confirmed Beryl, which was 350 miles east-southeast of Barbados on Sunday, was “currently an extremely dangerous hurricane.” With life-threatening winds and a powerful storm surge expected, Beryl could cause devastating damage to the Windward Islands early Monday, the center said.
Wind speeds on islands could be up to 30 percent stronger on the tops and windward sides of hills and mountains, and even higher, the center said. “Devastating” wind damage is possible, the center said. Most at risk are Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
The center of Beryl will move over the Windward Islands early Monday before moving across the southeastern and central Caribbean overnight Monday into Wednesday.
Hurricane warnings, meaning an area is expected to develop a hurricane, were issued Sunday for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Martinique and a tropical storm watch was in effect for Dominica and Trinidad.
Beryl could bring 1 to 4 inches of rain to southeastern Puerto Rico Monday night into Tuesday.
Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 season, which is expected to be unusual. The first named tropical storm of the season, Tropical Storm Alberto, made landfall in Mexico on June 20, killing at least four people. Beryl rapidly strengthened after being declared a tropical depression and then a tropical storm on Friday.
Powered by warm water:Hurricane Beryl surprises experts as it gains strength in warmer waters
Follow Beryl’s path:Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to be the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2024 season
Third fastest major Atlantic hurricane on record
According to Phil Klotzbach, senior research scientist at Colorado State University, Beryl continues to go from strength to strength, breaking a number of records, including:
▪ First major June hurricane on record east of the Lesser Antilles.
It was the third fastest-ever major Atlantic hurricane on record, behind Alma on June 8, 1966, and Audrey on June 27, 1957.
If Beryl becomes a Category 4 hurricane as predicted, it will be the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record. The current record is Hurricane Dennis, which became a Category 4 on July 8, 2005.
What is rapid intensification?
Rapid intensification is the process of a storm growing at an accelerated rate. The phenomenon is usually defined as a tropical depression (tropical storm or hurricane) intensifying at least 35 miles per hour in 24 hours.
Forecasters said Beryl’s winds had strengthened to 80 mph within 40 hours.
“When a tropical storm or hurricane encounters extremely favorable conditions, rapid intensification occurs,” says the Colorado State University hurricane researcher. Phil Klotzbach says:“This environment typically consists of very warm water, low vertical wind speeds, and high levels of mid-level moisture.”
Potential for life-threatening storm surges and flooding
Hurricane Beryl’s surge will begin reaching the Windward and southern Leeward Islands by late Sunday, potentially bringing life-threatening rough seas and rip currents. The hurricane’s storm surge on Monday could be 5 to 7 feet higher than normal tides, bringing “large and destructive waves” to coasts, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The rainfall could cause flooding, with between 3 and 6 inches of rain expected in Barbados and the Windward Islands from Sunday night into Monday.
The hurricane center urged everyone living in the central and western Caribbean to monitor the storm’s progress due to the uncertainty of the forecast.
What are the Windward Islands?
The Windward Islands are a group of Caribbean islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea. They include Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are sometimes also included in this group.
These islands are called “windward” (meaning upward from a particular point) because they are further upwind from an arriving ship than the Leeward Islands.
What are the prospects for the 2024 hurricane season?
Federal forecasters are predicting an unusual hurricane season, with up to 25 named storms possible.
That’s the most storms the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever predicted in a preseason forecast. “All the conditions are in place for an active season,” National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said in May.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said the Atlantic hurricane season is shaping up to be “exceptional,” with an 85 percent chance of above-normal storms. “This forecast is the best NOAA has ever issued for the month of May,” Spinrad said.
See the path of Hurricane Beryl
Current Weather Alerts for the United States
Contributors: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Doyle Rice, Mike Snyder; USA Today.
