Beryl − the first hurricane of the 2024 season − intensified Sunday into a high-octane Category 4 storm packing 130-mph winds as it barreled toward the Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center said its reconnaissance aircraft found that Beryl, which was 350 miles east-southeast of Barbados on Sunday, is “now an extremely dangerous … hurricane.” Life-threatening winds and powerful storm surge were expected, and Beryl could delver a devastating strike on the Windward Islands early Monday, the center said.
Wind speeds on the islands could be up to 30% stronger on the tops and windward sides of hills and mountains, possibly even higher, the center said. “Catastrophic” wind damage was possible, the center said. St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada were most at risk.
After Beryl’s center moves across the Windward Islands early Monday, the storm will cross the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea late Monday through Wednesday.
Hurricane warnings, meaning hurricane conditions are expected in the area, were in effect Sunday for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Grenada and Tobago. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Martinique; a tropical storm watch was in effect for Dominica and Trinidad.
Beryl could bring 1 to 4 inches of rain to southeastern Puerto Rico on Monday night and into Tuesday.
Beryl is the first hurricane of what is expected to be an extraordinary 2024 season. Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, left at least four people dead in Mexico after it made landfall on June 20. Beryl underwent rapid intensification: It was declared a tropical depression and then a tropical storm on Friday, and by Sunday was a major hurricane.
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