Beryl intensifies in the Caribbean, named 2024’s first hurricane

Beryl is barreling toward the Caribbean islands as the first hurricane of the season.

The storm strengthened over the eastern Atlantic Ocean through Saturday, packing winds of up to 75 mph, as it made its way westward toward the Windward Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The agency declared it a hurricane late Saturday. With those wind speeds, it is a Category 1 storm, but forecasters are concerned Beryl will strengthen over the next few days.

It is expected to reach the islands of Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada and the Grenadines late Sunday night or Monday and bring flooding rain, storm surges and damaging winds .

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“Beryl is now a hurricane and forecast to intensify quickly,” the National Hurricane Center said. The agency predicted life threatening winds and storm surge as it reaches the Windward Islands as a major hurricane — meaning winds of 111 mph, or stronger.

A hurricane warning was put into effect Saturday for Barbados.

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“We need to be ready,” Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley said in a public address Friday. “It is better to plan for the worst and pray for the best.”

A hurricane watch was called for the islands of St. Lucia, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while the islands of Dominica, Tobago and Martinique were still under a tropical storm watch.

Barbados will start seeing hurricane-force winds by overnight Sunday or early Monday and can expected to bring flooding rain, storm surges and damaging winds .

The storm track is forecast to head for Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after it passes Puerto Rico and Cuba later in the week. Those islands, along with the US and British Virgin Islands, are also likely to feel the impact of Beryl as the storm moves to the west.

Beryl was named a hurricane two days before the season officially starts. The National Hurricane Center has predicted this season will be a busy one, with a record 13 hurricanes and 25 tropical storms expected. Between four and seven of the storms are expected to become major hurricanes.

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