Beryl, Season’s First Hurricane to Hit Caribbean Strengthens into Category 1

According to the National Hurricane Center, the Hurricane is located about 720 miles east-southeast of Barbados moving west at 22mph. And now it is expected to strengthen into a dangerous hurricane before late Sunday or early Monday.

A hurricane is considered category 3 or higher when the wind gusts are hitting 111mph. But right now, Beryl is category 1.

Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center estimate that “hurricane-force” winds, “life-threatening” storm surge, and significant rainfall will be present by the time the storm approaches the Windward Islands, which are located west of Barbados.

After Tropical Storm Alberto, which made landfall in northeastern Mexico on June 20, Beryl is the second named storm of the season. Four persons were killed by that storm’s severe rainfall.

The hurricane is predicted to pass approximately 26 miles (45 km) south of the island, prompting the meteorological service in Barbados to issue warnings of power disruptions and flash flooding.
Barbados and other Caribbean islands could receive up to six inches (15 cm) of rain from the storm.

Barbados’ prime minister, Mia Amor Mottley, stated on Friday that “the reality is that we are not in a position to know exactly what type of weather we are going to face, but we know we’re going to face some weather.”
On Saturday night, she’s anticipated to make another announcement.

Forecasters expect this year’s hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, to be particularly active.
Regarding the current season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its most shocking warning to yet. According to forecasters, 2024 might have up to 25 named storms.

As per NOAA, eight to thirteen of those storms have the potential to intensify into hurricanes.
Of those storms, four to seven have the potential to intensify into Category 3 hurricanes or stronger. That would be over twice as many as usual.

The second named storm of the 2024 season would be among the first to arrive of one of the storms the NOAA warned of, if Hurricane Beryl follows the path some forecasters are expecting and strengthens into a Category 3.

storm specialist Michael Lowry posted on social media, saying, “It’s astonishing to see a forecast for a major (Category 3+) hurricane in June anywhere in the Atlantic, let alone this far east in the deep tropics.”

There have only been five big hurricanes (Category 3+) in the Atlantic before the first week of July. Beryl would be the sixth and the first in the tropical Atlantic this far east.”
During the hurricane season of 2023, 19 storms were officially named.