Beryl intensified into the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, poised to rapidly escalate into a major storm, forecasters cautioned. Late Saturday saw much of the southeast Caribbean under alert. According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Beryl is currently swirling approximately 595 miles (955 kilometers) east of Barbados in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm is expected to evolve into a “dangerous major hurricane” as it approaches the Windward Islands by late Sunday into Monday.
Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada are under hurricane warnings, while tropical storm warnings or watches are in effect for Martinique, Tobago, and Dominica, as per the latest advisory from the NHC.
In Bridgetown, Barbados, scenes of preparation unfolded as residents queued at gas stations, stocked up on essentials in supermarkets, and fortified their homes ahead of the approaching storm.
A major hurricane classification begins at Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, denoting sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour.
Experts noted the rarity of such a powerful storm forming this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, typically spanning from early June to late November.
“Hurricane Beryl marks only the sixth major hurricane to form before early July in the Atlantic, and is the earliest recorded this far east in the tropical Atlantic,” shared hurricane expert Michael Lowry on social media platform X.
As of Saturday night, Beryl’s sustained winds had strengthened to 85 mph with higher gusts, with the NHC warning of imminent hurricane conditions, heavy rainfall, flooding, and life-threatening winds and storm surges potentially elevating water levels up to seven feet (2.1 meters) above normal.
The NHC underscored the potential for stronger winds atop hills and mountains, urging heightened caution.
The Saffir-Simpson wind scale categorizes hurricanes from Category 1 (74 mph or higher winds) to Category 5 (157 mph or higher winds).
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had earlier predicted an “extraordinary” hurricane season with up to seven storms reaching Category 3 or higher, citing warm Atlantic ocean temperatures and La Nina conditions in the Pacific as contributing factors.
In the context of climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including hurricanes, have intensified in recent years.
