Hurricane Beryl strengthened as it churned toward the Caribbean's Windward Islands on Monday, according to officials, threatening devastating flooding and storm surges as life-threatening high winds picked up speed.

Saint George's

Hurricane Beryl has intensified as it approaches the Caribbean's Windward Islands, according to officials. The U.S. National Hurricane Center has classified Beryl as a Category 4 storm with winds reaching up to 150 miles per hour. The hurricane is expected to result in severe flooding and storm surges, with rainfall potentially amounting to 10 inches in some regions.

Michael Brennan from the Hurricane Center noted the well-defined eye of the storm visible on satellite imagery, indicating the storm's severity due to its eyewall replacement cycle. Areas such as Union Island, Palm Island, and Petit Saint Vincent are currently experiencing the hurricane's catastrophic conditions.

Atmospheric scientist Christopher Rozov highlighted the rarity of such rapid intensification, especially so early in the Atlantic hurricane season. Beryl has transitioned from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm in less than 24 hours, an unprecedented rate of intensification for this time of year.

The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines anticipates a prolonged natural disaster, with significant impacts expected for days. The storm could potentially maintain its hurricane status as it moves across the Caribbean Sea, with a hurricane watch issued for Jamaica and potential impacts extending as far as the Yucatan Peninsula.



Hurricane Beryl 'extremely dangerous' as it gains strength

Strong winds lashed Grenada on Monday as Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the Caribbean, turning into the Windward Islands and threatening devastating flooding and storm surges. The U.S. National Hurricane Center called the Category 4 storm an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation as winds from Beryl reached 150 miles per hour and it dropped up to 10 inches of rain in some areas. Michael Brennan is the Hurricane Center's director. You can see the very well-defined eye in both visible and infrared satellite imagery. Beryl has restrengthened this morning as it's gone through an eyewall replacement cycle, so now is when we're experiencing those catastrophic Category 4 wind conditions in portions of the Grenadines, places like Union Island, Palm Island, Petit Martinique, Petit Saint Vincent, Carriacou. The appearance of a major hurricane this early in the Atlantic hurricane season is rare. So is the quick strengthening of this storm according to Christopher Rozov, an atmospheric scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. It had a very intense shift in intensity from a Category 1 to Category 4 storm in less than 24 hours, making it one of the most impressive rapid intensification cases in Atlantic history. And we honestly have not seen any recorded storms perform such an intensification rate prior to September 1st in the history books. So for a storm to do this in late June is something we have not seen before. The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines said he was expecting a natural disaster that could continue for days. Beryl is expected to continue thrashing the region throughout the week. These are the chances of hurricane force winds were most concerned about downstream about seeing hurricane force winds in Jamaica and a hurricane watch has been issued for that island. As of this morning, there is a potential for barrel to remain a hurricane, a powerful hurricane across the Caribbean Sea. There is also a chance of hurricane force winds extending as far westward as two portions of the Yucatan Peninsula. Later this week, the storm is currently moving to the west northwest at 20 MPH.

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Hurricane Beryl batters Jamaica as Category 4

Hurricane Beryl struck Union Island, part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, overnight, leaving nearly everyone homeless. Grenada also faces devastation and communication systems are down after Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Jamaica is preparing for Beryl's approach, with residents urged to evacuate vulnerable areas.

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Hurricane Beryl has become an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to bring life-threatening winds and flash flooding to the Caribbean's Windward Islands as it rapidly strengthens into Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) says.

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