Hurricane Beryl Becomes First of 2024 Season
Hurricane Beryl has made history by becoming the first hurricane to form during the 2024 season, strengthening into a Category 4 storm on Sunday, according to federal forecasters.
Located east-southeast of Barbados in the Caribbean, Beryl boasted 130 mph winds, as reported by the National Hurricane Center in a 2 p.m. EST advisory. The storm is expected to make landfall on the Windward Islands on Monday as a major Category 3 hurricane or stronger, before heading towards Jamaica in the days to come.
Hurricane warnings have been issued for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with a tropical storm warning in place for Martinique and a tropical storm watch for Dominica and Trinidad.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami has warned that Beryl poses a significant threat to the Windward Islands, with potential for life-threatening winds and storm surge.
Beryl is forecasted to pass just south of Barbados early Monday and then move into the Caribbean Sea as a major hurricane, eventually weakening but still maintaining hurricane status as it approaches Mexico.
Alternative forecasting models suggest that Beryl could track into the Gulf of Mexico between Cuba and Mexico before impacting the southern United States. Meanwhile, other models indicate the storm may pass through southern Mexico or other Central American countries before dissipating over the Pacific Ocean.
According to the National Hurricane Center’s official “cone of uncertainty,” Beryl is projected to affect portions of Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize, with the bulk of the hurricane making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. However, its trajectory beyond that remains uncertain.
Renowned hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University noted on social media that Beryl is the first major hurricane on record to have formed east of the Lesser Antilles island chain in June. Additionally, Beryl marks the third major hurricane to have developed in the Caribbean before August 1 since 1851.
St. Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre announced a nationwide shutdown in preparation for the storm, while Grenada declared a state of emergency ahead of Beryl’s expected impact.
The forecast for the 2024 hurricane season from NOAA predicts above-average activity, with an anticipated 17 to 25 named storms, up to 13 hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. An average Atlantic hurricane season typically sees 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
With Beryl being the second named storm of the season following Tropical Storm Alberto’s landfall in Mexico earlier this month, the Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and is set to conclude on November 30, with peak activity typically occurring in early September.
This article includes information from The Associated Press.
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