
The Atlantic has its first hurricane of the 2024 Hurricane Season: Beryl was upgraded from a Tropical Storm to Hurricane today and is expected to gain additional strength and become a Major Hurricane in the coming days. While Beryl will become a problem in the days ahead, two new additional systems could also form in the upcoming week and Tropical Storm or Hurricanes Chris and Debby may form too.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is warning that “Beryl is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the Windward Islands late Sunday night or Monday, bringing destructive hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge.” Hurricane Watch and Warnings are now in effect for much of the Windward Islands. Beyond high winds and storm surge, heavy rainfall and localized flooding is also expected across the Windward Islands Sunday night and Monday. Beyond the Windward Islands, Beryl could also bring impacts elsewhere in the central and western Caribbean over the next several days with more direct strikes possible.
As of the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Beryl was located at 10.1N 49.3W, roughly 720 miles east-southeast of Barbados. Maximum sustained winds are at 75 mph making it a Category 1 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. The storm is moving to the west at 22 mph. Minimum central pressure is down to 992 mb or 29.30″.

The government of Barbados has issued a Hurricane Warning for the island while a Hurricane Hurricane Watch is in effect for St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, and Grenada. A Tropical Storm Watch is also in effect for Martinique, Dominica, and Tobago. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion in this area, according to the NHC. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
According to the NHC, a relatively quick westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next few days. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl is expected to move across the Windward Islands late Sunday night and Monday. Continued steady to rapid strengthening is forecast, and Beryl is expected to become a dangerous major hurricane with maximum sustained winds greater than 110 mph before it reaches the Windward Islands. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles.
A life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore flow near where Beryl makes landfall in the hurricane warning and watch areas. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3-6″ across Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday night into Monday. This rainfall may cause flooding in vulnerable areas. Showers and thunderstorms well north of Beryl may produce 1-4″ of rain over portions of southeastern Puerto Rico Monday night into Tuesday. Rainfall from Beryl may impact portions of southern Hispaniola Tuesday into Wednesday, with 2-6″ possible there.
While Beryl is keeping forecasters busy at the NHC, meteorologists there are also tracking two additional disturbances that could become tropical cyclones too. The next two names to be given to tropical storms in the Atlantic Basin will be Chris and Debby but it’s too soon to know for sure whether these 2 other systems will earn those names in the coming days.
According to the NHC, a broad area of low pressure is forecast to form over the Bay of Campeche tonight or early Sunday, where conditions appear generally conducive for further development. A tropical depression could form before the system moves inland again early next week over Mexico. “Interests along the Gulf coast of Mexico should monitor the progress of this system,” the NHC cautions. Regardless of development, heavy rainfall associated with the area of low pressure will affect portions of Central America and Mexico through early next week. For now, the NHC says there’s only a 50-50 chance that this will develop into a tropical cyclone over the next 7 days.
A more impressive system is located east of Hurricane Beryl. An area of low pressure located several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands is producing an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development of this system, and a tropical depression could form by the middle of next week while it moves generally westward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. The NHC says there’s a 70% chance of tropical formation here over the next 7 days.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season began on June 1 and runs through to the end of November.