Hurricane Beryl makes landfall as Caribbean braces for days ahead

According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Beryl has made landfall on Carriacou Island in Grenada.

The storm has re-strengthened in recent hours and has prompted warnings of life-threatening winds and dangerous storm surges.

“Within half an hour, Carriacou was leveled,” according to Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.

A hurricane warning is also in effect for Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Tobago.

Airports and businesses were closed and people across the Caribbean were advised to seek shelter as the potentially devastating storm hit the region.

Dozens of flights were canceled across the region as Storm Beryl approached on Sunday night, while leaders urged residents to heed warnings.

“We are not out of the woods yet,” Mitchell warned at a press conference on Monday. Grenada has also experienced a number of power outages, affecting communications and access to up-to-date government information.

According to the latest NHC update, the storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 150 mph (241 km/h) as it moved west.

Jamaica is under a hurricane warning, meaning the area is likely to be hit by a storm on Wednesday.

“This is no joke,” said St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, reminding people of the devastation caused by previous hurricanes in the Caribbean.

In a national address from his official residence, Mr. Gonsalves said he was seeking shelter in the basement of his home.

“The roof, the old roof for sure, probably couldn’t handle 150 mph winds. I’m getting ready to go downstairs,” he said.

Beryl’s power is changing.

The storm was upgraded to a Category 4 on Monday after weakening slightly earlier.

The NHC said the storm’s intensity was likely to continue to fluctuate but warned that some areas of the Windward Islands should prepare for “potentially catastrophic damage from winds.”

The report said St Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Grenada were at highest risk of damage.

Storm shelters open at 18:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley also called on citizens to be vigilant.

“We need to be prepared. You and I both know that when these things happen, it’s best to plan for the worst and pray for the best,” she said.

“Don’t let your guard down,” she added.

Meteorologists say it is unusual for a storm of such strength to form so early in the year.

“There have only been five major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) recorded in the Atlantic before the first week of July,” hurricane expert Michael Lowry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Beryl would be the sixth and first meteorite to appear in the easternmost part of the tropical Atlantic,” Mr Lowry wrote.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that the North Atlantic could see as many as seven major hurricanes this year – up from the average of three in a season.

Record high sea surface temperatures are partly to blame, the report said.

Meteorologists also commented on Beryl’s rapid growth.

Hurricane expert Sam Lillo told the Associated Press that the storm strengthened from a tropical depression to a Category 3 hurricane in just 42 hours.

Much of the area has heeded the warnings.

Shops were closed and people were stockpiling fuel and groceries.

Grenada has declared a state of emergency and St Lucia has imposed a “national lockdown”, ordering schools and businesses to close.