Beryl, Earliest Category 4 Hurricane On Record, Imperils Caribbean

"The "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm Hurricane Beryl barrelled across the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday afternoon toward the Caribbean's Windward Islands, where it is expected to bring life-threatening winds and flash flooding on Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The first hurricane of the 2024 season was located about 250 miles (400 km) southeast of Barbados on Sunday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph), the NHC said in an advisory.

The center of the hurricane is expected to travel across the Windward Islands on Monday morning as a Category 4 storm, the second-strongest level on a five-step scale.

"Potentially catastrophic wind damage is expected where the eyewall of Beryl moves through portions of the Windward Islands, with the highest risk of the core in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada," NHC said in its most recent advisory."

Maria Ponnezhath, Jonathan Allen, Curtis Williams, and Laura Gottesdiener report for Reuters June 30, 2024.

SEE ALSO:

"Dangerous Hurricane Beryl Closes In On Southeast Caribbean" (AP)

Source: Reuters, 07/01/2024