Hurricane Beryl is intensifying rapidly, poised to become a powerful Category 4 storm as it approaches the southeast Caribbean. The storm’s trajectory has triggered a wave of concern, leading to urgent pleas from government officials for residents to seek shelter. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a stark warning, stating that Beryl is “forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge… as an extremely dangerous hurricane.” On Sunday morning, Beryl escalated to a Category 3 hurricane, marking a historic first for June in the Lesser Antilles, according to Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University. Beryl now stands as only the third Category 3 hurricane recorded in the Atlantic during June, following Audrey in 1957 and Alma in 1966, as per hurricane expert Michael Lowry.
As of Sunday, Beryl was situated approximately 465 miles (750 kilometers) east-southeast of Barbados. Classified as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph), it was moving westward at 21 mph (33 kph). The National Hurricane Center dispatched two hurricane hunters to gather detailed information about the storm’s intensity.
Beryl is expected to pass just south of Barbados early Monday, transitioning into the Caribbean Sea as a major hurricane on a path towards Jamaica. While it is anticipated to weaken by mid-week, it is projected to remain a hurricane as it heads towards Mexico. Forecasters issued warnings about life-threatening storm surges reaching up to 9 feet (3 meters) in areas where Beryl makes landfall, with up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain anticipated for Barbados and neighboring islands.
Across Barbados and other islands, long lines formed at gas stations and grocery stores as residents rushed to prepare for the storm. Beryl’s rapid intensification from a tropical storm with 35 mph winds on Friday to a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday has broken records and fueled concern. Warm waters are feeding Beryl’s growth, with ocean heat content in the deep Atlantic reaching the highest level on record for this time of year, according to Brian McNoldy, a tropical meteorology researcher at the University of Miami.
Beryl marks the farthest east a hurricane has formed in the tropical Atlantic in June, surpassing a record set in 1933, according to Philip Klotzbach. Should Beryl’s winds attain 125 mph, it would become the second earliest such storm in the Atlantic on record, surpassing Audrey in 1957. Additionally, reaching Category 3 would make it only the third storm to do so in the Caribbean before August, with Dennis and Emily achieving this in July 2005, according to Klotzbach.
In a public address late Saturday, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley urged residents to stay vigilant. “We do not want to put anybody’s life at risk,” she emphasized. Thousands of people were in Barbados for Saturday’s Twenty20 World Cup final, cricket’s biggest event. Mottley acknowledged that not all fans had managed to leave on Sunday despite many rushing to change their flights. “Some of them have never gone through a storm before,” she said, adding, “We have plans to take care of them.” Mottley announced the closure of all businesses by Sunday evening, with the airport scheduled to shut down by nighttime.
Kemar Saffrey, president of a Barbadian group focused on ending homelessness, raised concerns about the vulnerability of those without homes. In a video posted on social media Saturday night, he cautioned against the belief that they can ride out storms due to past experience. “I don’t want that to be the approach that they take,” he said, urging Barbadians to direct homeless individuals to a shelter. Echoing Saffrey’s concerns, Wilfred Abrahams, the minister of home affairs and information, stated, “I need Barbadians at this point to be their brother’s keeper… Some people are vulnerable.”
Meanwhile, St. Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre announced a national shutdown for Sunday evening, with schools and businesses remaining closed on Monday. “Preservation and protection of life is a priority,” he stated. Caribbean leaders are preparing not only for Beryl but also for a cluster of thunderstorms trailing the hurricane, which have a 70% chance of developing into a tropical depression.
Mottley issued a final warning, urging residents not to lower their guard. “Do not let your guard down,” she stressed. Beryl marks the second named storm in what is predicted to be an above-average hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30 in the Atlantic. Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in northeastern Mexico, bringing heavy rains that resulted in four fatalities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts the 2024 hurricane season to be significantly above average, predicting between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast anticipates as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes. An average Atlantic hurricane season typically produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
