On Sunday, June 30, as Tropical Storm “Beryl” approached the southeastern Caribbean, it strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (215 kilometers per hour). Due to emergency warnings from local government officials urging people to evacuate, the region began closures on Sunday.
Hurricane warnings have been issued for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines. Sabu Best, the director of the Barbados Meteorological Office, stated that the center of Hurricane “Beryl” is expected to pass about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Barbados on Monday morning before moving into the Caribbean towards Jamaica as a major hurricane. It is anticipated that by midweek, “Beryl” will weaken but still remain a hurricane as it moves towards Mexico.
The United States National Hurricane Center has issued a warning stating, “The situation for the Windward Islands is extremely serious.” The center predicts that “Beryl” will bring life-threatening large winds and storm surges.
“Beryl” currently stands as the earliest recorded Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic and the only Category 4 storm to occur in June on record. Considering that the average date for the first hurricane is August 11, the early appearance of the first hurricane of the season is deemed unusual.
The National Hurricane Center reports that in coastal areas near the hurricane warning zone where the eyewall lands, life-threatening storm surges could raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels. Storm surges could bring destructive waves near the coast.
According to the Associated Press, hurricane expert Sam Lillo stated that “Beryl” intensified from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 42 hours. This phenomenon has only occurred six times before in the history of Atlantic hurricanes.
Mike Brennan, the director of the National Hurricane Center, informed CNN that residents in areas under hurricane warnings should prepare for the impacts of the significant storm. “Beryl” poses risks of heavy rainfall, destructive hurricanes, dangerous storm surges, and waves. The center predicts that total rainfall on Sunday night and Monday could reach 3 to 6 inches, potentially leading to localized flooding in the Windward Islands.