Hurricane Beryl becomes strongest July hurricane on record as it eyes Jamaica

Hurricane Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin on record late Monday after a NOAA Hurricane Hunters aircraft recorded a sustained wind of 160 mph inside the hurricane.

After reaching winds of 165 mph early Tuesday, Beryl became the strongest July hurricane on record in the Atlantic.

Also on Monday, the hurricane brought significant damage to island communities in the southwest Caribbean Monday afternoon, where it made landfall as a strong Category 4 storm.

The storm ripped off roofs and doors on the island of Carriacou and swamped streets and businesses on the island of Barbados. It snapped trees and downed power lines, leaving residents in the dark and with limited communication as they make their first assessments of the storm's damage.

Officials said Carriacou and the islands around it were dealing with significant storm surge. They said "reports of devastation" were starting to come in from the region, and said they would travel to survey conditions once it was safe to do so.

No injuries or deaths have been immediately reported as a result of the storm.

Beryl is expected to keep much of its strength as it moves deeper into the Caribbean, forecasters said.

The storm was expected to bring hurricane conditions to Jamaica by Wednesday. A hurricane warning was in effect for the island on Monday evening. The Cayman Islands are under a hurricane watch.

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