The Indian cricket team, featuring renowned players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya, is currently stuck in Barbados. This unfortunate situation arises from the powerful Hurricane Beryl, which has made landfall on the Caribbean islands, disrupting travel and causing widespread damage. Consequently, their return journey home, following their victorious T20 World Cup campaign, has been delayed by at least 24 hours.
Hurricane Beryl, a dangerous and exceptionally strong storm, struck the Caribbean island of Carriacou on Monday. This marked the earliest occurrence of such a powerful storm in the Atlantic. Fueled by record-breaking warm waters, it poses significant threats to the region. According to forecasts, Barbados and neighboring islands experienced life-threatening winds and storms on Monday. Barbados, home to nearly three lakh people, has been under lockdown since Sunday evening due to the severe weather conditions.
Carriacou, one of the islands of Grenada, witnessed winds exceeding 150 mph (240 mph), leading to roof damage and other destruction. Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, prompting thousands of people to seek refuge in homes and shelters. The last strong hurricane to impact the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, claiming the lives of numerous people in Grenada.
Officials in Barbados received over a dozen reports of roof damage, fallen trees, and downed electric posts across the island. Forecasters issued warnings of a life-threatening storm surge reaching up to 9 feet (3 meters) in areas affected by Hurricane Beryl’s landfall. Barbados and nearby islands are expected to experience 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15 centimeters) of rainfall, with localized amounts potentially reaching up to 10 inches (25 centimeters), particularly impacting Grenada and the Grenadines.
The storm is expected to weaken slightly over the Caribbean Sea on a trajectory that would take it just south of Jamaica and later toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 1 hurricane. Authorities in several southeast Caribbean islands initiated controlled shutdowns of electricity and warned of potential water shortages in anticipation of the approaching storm. Urging residents to seek shelter, they highlighted the risks of landslides and flash floods, prompting closures of schools, airports, and government offices as precautionary measures.
Hurricane Beryl’s rapid intensification from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 42 hours is a remarkable event. This feat has only been achieved six other times in Atlantic hurricane history, with September 1 being the earliest date, according to hurricane expert Sam Lillo. It also marked the earliest Category 4 Atlantic hurricane on record, surpassing Hurricane Dennis, which attained Category 4 status on July 8, 2005. Beryl’s strength stemmed from record warm waters that are hotter now than they would be at the peak of hurricane season in September, he said.
Beryl also marked the farthest east that a hurricane has formed in the tropical Atlantic in June, breaking a record set in 1933, according to Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University.
