Hurricane Beryl in the eastern Caribbean strengthened into a Category 4 storm on Sunday, making it the fastest Category 4 storm on record.
Beryl is threatening to bring extremely dangerous winds and a storm surge to the Windward Islands. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the storm is packing sustained winds of 130 mph.
It was the first hurricane of the season and the only Category 4 hurricane to form in June.
“Potentially catastrophic hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surges and damaging waves” are expected for the Windward Islands of northwest Australia. PredictedMost at risk are St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, where the storm is expected to make landfall early on Monday.
The storm is expected to bring strong winds and waves to the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba as it moves westward across the southern Caribbean Sea. It is currently forecast to make landfall in Cancun, Mexico on Friday as a tropical storm.
“Beryl rapidly intensified into a dangerous major hurricane. It is unusual to see a storm intensify so quickly in this part of the Atlantic at this time of the season,” AccuWeather hurricane forecaster Alex DaSilva said in a statement. “Several islands in the Lower Antilles are at extreme risk to life and property.”
“Beryl is strengthening in an area with favorable conditions for tropical development,” he continued. “Nothing is preventing this storm from weakening before it reaches St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
“The NWS advisory on Saturday said:[a] A life-threatening storm surge could cause inland waters near Beryl’s landfall within the Hurricane Warning and Watch areas to rise by up to 5 to 7 feet above normal tides.”
“Coastal areas will experience large and destructive waves accompanied by storm surges,” the warning continued.
As for rainfall, the NWS said in its warning that the storm is “expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches over Barbados and the Windward Islands from Sunday night through Monday.”
