Hurricane Beryl heads for Cayman Islands as category 3 storm after battering Jamaica: Live updates

The Cayman Islands are bracing Thursday morning for Hurricane Beryl , now a Category 3 storm, to pass by, bringing with it 120mph (195km/h) strong winds and dangerous storm surge as it moves away from Jamaica .

Beryl is due to bring hurricane-force winds, dangerous storm surge and heavy rainfall over portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize beginning Thursday night as Beryl approaches, with strong winds, dangerous storm surge, damaging waves and flooding expected in the Cayman Islands today.

Hurricane Beryl hit Jamaica with life-threatening rain, 145mph winds and storm surge, with the storm knocking down power lines in Portland, the Jamaica Observer reports.

After imposing a curfew overnight on Wednesday, the Jamaican government has now discontinued its Hurricane Warning as Beryl starts to move away, however, rainfall and flash-flooding still pose a risk on the island.

Hurricane Beryl has killed at least eight people. The storm intensified to the earliest Category 5 storm recorded in the Atlantic overnight before weakening back to Category 4 on Tuesday.

While the storm is expected to weaken later this week, it will likely remain a major hurricane. Hurricane Beryl has the potential to hit southern Texas and Louisiana over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service .

Grenada was left with “unimaginable” destruction after the storm passed through Monday, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said. Officials said 98 percent of buildings in the nation of 6,000 had been damaged or destroyed.