Beryl strengthens into hurricane in Atlantic, forecast to become major hurricane

Beryl strengthened into a hurricane on Saturday as it moved southeast into the Caribbean, with forecasters warning it would become a dangerous major hurricane before reaching Barbados late Sunday or early Thursday. Two.

A major hurricane is considered a Category 3 or higher, with winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h). By mid-afternoon Saturday, Beryl was a Category 1 storm, marking the farthest east a hurricane has formed in the tropical Atlantic in June, breaking a record set in 1933, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Philip Klotzbach.

A hurricane warning has been issued for Barbados, and a hurricane warning is in effect for St. Lucia, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Martinique, Dominica and Tobago.

“It’s amazing to see a forecast for a major (category 3 or higher) hurricane in June anywhere in the Atlantic, let alone this easternmost part of the deep tropics. #Beryl is quickly prepare on the warmest sea ever recorded at the end of June,” storm expert Michael Lowry in Florida posted on X.

The center of Hurricane Beryl is forecast to pass about 26 miles (45 kilometers) south of Barbados, said Sabu Best, director of the island’s meteorological service. Forecasters then expected the storm to cross the Caribbean on its way to Jamaica and eventually Mexico.

As of late Saturday afternoon, Beryl was centered about 720 miles (1,160 km) east-southeast of Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The storm was moving west at 22 mph (35 km/h).

“The storm is now forecast to strengthen rapidly,” the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center said.

Atmospheric science researcher Tomer Burg noted that Beryl was just a tropical depression with winds of 35 mph on Friday.

“This means that according to preliminary data, Beryl met the criteria for rapid intensification before becoming a hurricane,” he wrote on social media platform X.

Warm waters are fueling Beryl, with the heat content of the deep Atlantic ocean reaching its highest level ever recorded for this time of year, according to Brian McNoldy, a tropical meteorologist at the University of Miami.

According to Klotzbach, Beryl was also the strongest tropical storm on record in June in the easternmost tropical Atlantic.

“We need to be ready,” Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said in a public address late Friday. “You and I both know when these things happen, it’s better to plan for the worst and pray for the best.”

She noted that thousands of people are in Barbados for the Twenty20 World Cup cricket final, with India beating South Africa on Saturday in the capital Bridgetown. It is considered the biggest cricket event.

Some fans, like Shashank Musku, a 33-year-old physician living in Pittsburgh, rushed to change flights to leave before the storm hit.

Musku said over the phone that he had never experienced a storm: “I don’t intend to experience a storm either.”

He and his wife, who are Indian supporters, learned about Beryl from a taxi driver who mentioned the storm.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said in a public address on Saturday that shelters would open on Sunday evening and he urged people to prepare. He ordered officials to refuel government vehicles and asked grocery stores and gas stations to open later ahead of the storm.

“There will be such a rush… if you keep the hours limited,” he said, apologising in advance for the government interrupting radio stations with storm updates. “Cricket lovers have to bear with us that we will have to provide information… this is life and death.”

Beryl is the second named storm in what is expected to be a busy hurricane season, from June 1 to November 30 in the Atlantic. Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Alberto hit the northeastern coast of Mexico with heavy rains that killed four people.

Lowry noted that in records dating back to 1851, only five named storms ever formed in June in the tropical Atlantic east of the Caribbean, and only one was a hurricane. He said one was the first storm of 1933, the most active hurricane season on record.

Mark Spence, a motel manager in Barbados, said by phone that he was calm in the face of the approaching storm.

“It’s the season. You can get a storm at any time,” he said. “I’m always prepared. I always have enough food in the house.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the 2024 hurricane season will likely be above average, with 17 to 25 named storms. Forecasts call for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

The average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of which are hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Beryl expected up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain on Barbados and neighboring islands, and a wave warning of up to 13 feet (4 meters) was in effect. A storm surge of up to 7 feet (2 meters) is also forecast.

The storm is approaching the southeastern Caribbean just days after the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago suffered major flooding in its capital Port-of-Spain due to an unrelated weather event.

Caribbean leaders are not only worried about Beryl but also about a series of thunderstorms closely following Beryl’s path that have a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression by the middle of next week.

Meanwhile, an unnamed storm in early June brought more than 20 inches (50 cm) of rain to some areas of South Florida, leaving many motorists stranded on flooded streets and pushing water into some houses in low-lying areas.