Hurricane Beryl Strikes the Caribbean

1 July 2024 — Bridgetown, Barbados: Hurricane Beryl, a powerful Category 3 storm, is impacting the southeastern Caribbean. Initially forming as the earliest Category 4 storm in the Atlantic, Beryl poses significant threats due to record warm waters.

Current Status:
– Located 125 miles east-southeast of Grenada.
– Maximum winds of 120 mph, moving west at 20 mph.
– Hurricane-force winds extending 35 miles from the center.

Affected Areas:
– Hurricane Warnings: Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Tobago, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
– Tropical Storm Warnings: Martinique, Trinidad.
– Tropical Storm Watch: Dominica, Haiti’s southern coast, parts of the Dominican Republic.

Forecast and Preparations:
– Life-threatening storm surge up to 9 feet.
– Rainfall between 3 to 10 inches expected.
– Storm path to impact south of Jamaica and approach Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

Local Impact:
– Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, warned residents to stay indoors.
– Power and water outages anticipated.
– Schools, airports, and government offices shut down.

Additional Context:
– Historic rapid intensification from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in 42 hours.
– Earliest recorded east-Atlantic Category 4 hurricane.
– Second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season; following Tropical Storm Alberto.

The Indian cricket team, celebrating their T20 World Cup win, is stranded in Barbados due to flight cancellations. Players expressed their readiness to return home once travel plans are clear.

Experts: Attribute the rapid intensification and early formation to global climate conditions, stressing the dangerous impact on affected regions.

Next Steps: Monitoring of additional storm systems following Beryl’s path, adding to concerns over the Caribbean’s preparedness.