Hurricane Beryl caused destructive winds and heavy rainfall across multiple Caribbean islands on Monday, marking the earliest Category 4 storm on record as it moved westward. Carriacou Island in Grenada faced a direct hit from the storm’s extremely dangerous eyewall, with sustained winds exceeding 150 miles (240 kilometers) per hour, as reported by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The neighboring islands, such as Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, also encountered catastrophic winds and life-threatening storm surges, according to the NHC. Videos captured in St. George’s, Grenada, depicted intense rainfalls and trees swaying in the strong gusts.
- Advertisement -
The Office of the Prime Minister of Grenada shared a video on Facebook, showcasing large waves while mentioning the state’s exposure to intense winds and damage.
The NHC emphasized the severity of the situation, advising residents to remain in their shelters and stay put during these perilous conditions. Experts have highlighted the rarity of observing such a powerful storm developing this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, spanning from early June to late November.
This represents the first June hurricane to achieve Category 4 status since the beginning of NHC records.
Hurricane specialist Michael Lowry shared on social media that only five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher have been recorded in the Atlantic before the first week of July.
Although Barbados appeared to have escaped the worst impact of the storm, it still encountered strong winds and heavy rainfall, with no reported injuries thus far. The island’s meteorological agency downgraded the hurricane warning to a wind advisory until 6:00 pm local time (2200 GMT) on Monday.
Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams mentioned in an online video that Barbados seemed to have avoided significant damage, but cautioned about expected gusts and storm-force winds.
The hurricane warning was also lifted in Tobago, the smaller of the two islands comprising Trinidad and Tobago.
The storm led to Monday school closures on several islands, and a scheduled Caricom meeting in Grenada was postponed.
Beryl is projected to sustain its strength as a “powerful hurricane” while moving westward, prompting tropical storm warnings or watches in Jamaica and parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The NHC advised the Cayman Islands and areas on the Yucatan Peninsula to monitor the storm’s progress closely.
Beryl became the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season on Saturday, rapidly escalating to Category 4. A storm of Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale is considered a major hurricane, with Category 4 storms featuring sustained winds of at least 130 miles per hour (209 kilometers per hour).
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an “extraordinary” hurricane season this year, foreseeing up to seven Category 3 or higher storms, citing warm Atlantic Ocean temperatures and La Nina conditions in the Pacific as contributing factors.
Climate change has caused a surge in extreme weather occurrences, including hurricanes, which have become more frequent and intense in recent times.
