Hurricane Beryl a 'very dangerous' Category 3 storm as it roars toward Caribbean

Beryl − the first hurricane of the 2024 season − strengthened Sunday into a powerful Category 3 storm packing 115-mph winds as it barreled toward the Caribbean.

Beryl, which was 420 miles east-southeast of Barbados on Sunday, "is now a very dangerous ... hurricane. Life-threatening winds and storm surge are expected in the Windward Islands beginning early Monday," the National Hurricane Center said.

Rapid intensification was likely in the next 24 hours, the center said, and Beryl was "expected to become an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane" that could deliver a devastating strike on the Windward Islands.

Wind speeds on the islands could be up to 30% stronger on the tops and windward sides of hills and mountains, possibly even higher, the center said.

Hurricane warnings, meaning hurricane conditions are expected in the area, were in effect Sunday for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Grenada and Tobago. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Martinique; a tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica.

Beryl could bring 1 to 4 inches of rain to southeastern Puerto Rico on Monday night and into Tuesday.

Fueled by warm water: Hurricane Beryl, super-charged by warm seas, stuns experts

Beryl is the first hurricane of what is expected to be an extraordinary 2024 season . Tropical Storm Alberto , the first named storm of the season, left at least four people dead in Mexico after it made landfall on June 20.

The storm is the easternmost hurricane and major hurricane (Category 3) to form in the Atlantic during the month of June, according to Weather.com. Beryl developed quickly after it was declared a tropical depression and then a tropical storm on Friday.

Track Beryl's path: Tropical storm Beryl expected to become first Atlantic hurricane of 2024 season

What is rapid intensification?

Rapid intensification is a process in which a storm undergoes accelerated growth: The phenomenon is typically defined to be a tropical cyclone (whether a tropical storm or hurricane) intensifying by at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period.

"Rapid intensification occurs when a tropical storm or hurricane encounters an extremely conducive environment," Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said . "Typically, this environment consists of very warm water, low vertical wind shear and high levels of midlevel moisture."

Life-threatening storm surge, flooding likely

Swells from Hurricane Beryl should begin reaching the Windward and southern Leeward Islands by late Sunday, and are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents. The storm surge as the hurricane arrives on Monday may reach 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels and bring "large, destructive waves" to the coast, the hurricane center said.

Rainfall could cause flooding, and is expected to dump 3 to 6 inches in Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday night into Monday.

The hurricane center urged anyone living in the central and western Caribbean to monitor the storm's progression given the uncertainty of the forecast.

What is the outlook for the 2024 season?

Federal forecasters have predicted a hurricane season unlike any other, with as many as 25 named storms possible.

It is the most storms the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever predicted in a preseason outlook. "All the ingredients are in place for an active season," National Weather Service director Ken Graham said in May.

NOAA director Rick Spinrad said the Atlantic hurricane season is shaping up to be "extraordinary" − an 85% chance for an above-average year. "The forecast … is the highest NOAA has ever issued for the May outlook," he said.

See the path of Hurricane Beryl

Current weather advisories in the U.S.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Doyle Rice, Mike Snyder; USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Beryl a 'very dangerous' Category 3 storm as it roars toward Caribbean