Hurricane Beryl strengthened further on Sunday and is advancing towards the Caribbean with “extremely dangerous” winds exceeding 200 km/h, carrying “potentially fatal” risks for the islands of the Antilles.
Béryl, which had gone from tropical storm to hurricane overnight, is now classified in category 4, announced the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami (United States).
The NHC warned that Béryl, which was operating on Sunday evening about 400 kilometers southeast of Barbados with winds blowing at least 209 km/h, will remain a 4 extremely dangerous”,”text”:”category 4 hurricane extremely dangerous”}}”>Extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane
when it reaches the coasts of several Caribbean islands during the day on Monday.
The hurricane, which was then 565 km from Barbados, continued to gain strength before hitting the first Windward Islands on Monday morning, added the NHC.
A weather event of this scale is extremely rare so early in the hurricane season, which runs from early June to late November in the United States.
3 or more]have been recorded in years before the first week of July. If Beryl does indeed become a major hurricane, it will be the sixth and earliest ever recorded also in the east”,”text”:”Only five major hurricanes [force3 ou plus] have been recorded in years before the first week of July. If Beryl does indeed become a major hurricane, it will be the sixth and earliest of those ever recorded this far east”}}”>Only five major hurricanes [force 3 ou plus] were recorded in the years before the first week of July. If Beryl does indeed become a major hurricane, it will be the sixth and earliest ever recorded also to the east
explains hurricane expert Michael Lowry on X.
A hurricane watch is in effect for the islands of Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. On Saturday, Martinique, Dominica and the island of Tobago were placed under tropical storm watch.
All preparations must be completed today
added the NHCurging residents to listen to local authorities and emergency service officials.
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Beryl’s forecast path, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Photo: National Hurricane Center
In Barbados, gas stations were stormed by motorists stocking up on petrol before the storm hit.
Supermarkets and small grocery stores were filled with customers stocking up on water, food and other essentials, while residents everywhere could be seen nailing boards in front of their windows to protect them.
Intense season on the menu
The 2024 hurricane season is announced by Météo France as one of the most intense years
in this matter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also forecast an extraordinary season at the end of May, predicting the possibility of four to seven Category 3 or higher hurricanes.
These forecasts are notably linked to the expected development of the La Niña weather phenomenon in the near future as well as to the very high temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean, indicated NOAA.
Global warming is making extreme weather events, like hurricanes, more frequent and more devastating.
