Published on July 1, 2024 at 4:33 p.m.
The earliest Category 4 hurricane in history in the Atlantic Ocean made landfall Monday morning in the Grenadines. Its consequences could prove disastrous. Details.
Remarkable intensification
Beryl had been on the radar for several days and its trajectory suggested the worst: it made landfall on Saturday at 11:10 a.m. in the Grenadines, in Carriacou.
The Lesser Antilles are at the heart of the major Category 4 hurricane. Its destructive winds of 240 km/h have allowed it to become the earliest Category 4 hurricane in history in the Atlantic Ocean.
Beryl intensified very quickly: in less than 24 hours, wind speeds increased by 115 km/h. It thus went from a tropical storm Saturday morning to a major hurricane late Sunday morning.
Beryl became the earliest Category 4 hurricane in history to hit the Atlantic basin. The previous record was held by Hurricane Dennis, which reached that status on July 8, 2005.
Destructive consequences
In total, up to 300 mm of rain is possible in the Lesser Antilles during the passage of the major hurricane.
These torrential rains could cause flash floods, landslides and monster flooding. Gusts of 220 km/h could also cause power outages and infrastructure breakdowns, in addition to storm surges of more than two meters.
