Just 7 mph shy of having the 157 mph needed to be declared a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, Major Hurricane Beryl, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, continues to plow through the Caribbean Sea after making a direct hit on the island of Carriacou north of the island Grenada in St Vincent and the Grenadines at 10 am local time today.
Right now, Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 20 mph. The center of Beryl will move away from the southern Windward Islands tonight and pass quickly westward to west-northwestward during the next few days. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will move across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea tonight through Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph with higher gusts. Beryl is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. According to the National Hurricane Center, fluctuations in strength are likely during the next day or so, but Beryl is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane as its moves over the eastern Caribbean. Some weakening is expected in the central Caribbean by midweek, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125
miles. The Hewanorra International Airport on St. Lucia recently reported sustained winds of 43 mph. The minimum central pressure based on aircraft data is 946 mb or 27.94″.
Potentially catastrophic wind damage is expected where the core of Beryl is moving through portions of the southern Windward Islands, including Carriacou Island, Grenada, and the Grenadine Islands. Wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains are often up to 30 percent stronger than the near-surface winds indicated in the National Hurricane Center advisories, and in some elevated locations could be even greater.
Now eyes are on where the hurricane is headed next. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands and Grenada while a Hurricane Watch is now in effect for Jamaica. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Martinique and St. Lucia while a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the south coast of Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward to the border with Haiti and the south coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Anse d’Hainault.
The National Hurricane Center says that hurricane conditions are possible in the watch area on Jamaica by Wednesday.
Stunning view deep inside the eye of an impressive storm: Category 4 Hurricane #Beryl. https://t.co/H5xyDtzmAm
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) July 1, 2024
Large swells generated by Beryl will continue across the Windward and southern Leeward Islands during the next couple of days. Swells are also expected to reach the southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola late tonight into Tuesday. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
