Hurricane Beryl tracker: See projected path of Category 4 storm as it heads toward Jamaica

The core of Hurricane Beryl is expected to pass through Jamaica Wednesday , bringing life-threatening winds and storm surge to the island, according to the National Hurricane Center .

The NHC said Beryl, which weakened slightly Tuesday into a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 145 mph, is moving toward the west-northwest at 20 mph and is expected to turn more toward the west Wednesday night or Thursday.

The storm is forecast to pass near or over Jamaica on Wednesday and near or over the Cayman Islands Wednesday night or early Thursday, according to the NHC. Beryl is then expected to move over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico early Friday.

The storm surge along the Jamaican coast could be as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels, according to the hurricane center. As Beryl passes over or near Jamaica, currently about 300 miles east-southeast from the capital Kingston, its winds are forecast to decrease but the danger will remain high. The storm has also triggered warnings and advisories across Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Cayman Islands.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned residents on Tuesday night "to take the hurricane as a serious threat" and advised people to prepare for potential impacts but to remain calm. Holness added that officials have taken several precautionary measures in anticipation of Beryl.

Hurricane Beryl live updates: Jamaica braces for 'devastating' conditions from Hurricane Beryl

While some weakening is forecast during the next day or two, Beryl is forecast to be at or near major hurricane intensity as it passes through Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the NHC said in its 5 a.m. advisory Wednesday.

"Additional weakening is expected thereafter, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean," the NHC said.

Beryl made landfall on Carriacou Island in Grenada as a Category 4 hurricane on Monday with 150-mph winds, causing at least three deaths and devastating Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines. The fast-moving storm then regained strength over the Caribbean Sea, and on Monday night, it became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record .

Hurricane Beryl path tracker

This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.

Beryl's path: As Hurricane Beryl tears through the Caribbean, a look at its record-breaking path

Hurricane Beryl spaghetti models

Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.

Atlantic storm tracker

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Thao Nguyen, Christopher Cann, Cybele Mayes-Osterman & Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Beryl tracker: See projected path of Category 4 storm as it heads toward Jamaica