Hurricane Beryl moved closer to the southeastern Caribbean on Monday after strengthening into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, with forecasters warning of “life-threatening winds and storm surge.”
The storm is expected to make landfall Monday morning on the Windward Islands, with maximum rainfall of 25 cm expected in the Grenadines and up to 15 cm in Barbados, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday morning. Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago.
“This is a very dangerous situation,” the NHC said in another report Monday, imploring residents to heed local government warnings and take shelter.
Early Monday, the hurricane was centered about 70 miles east of Grenada, the center said. With maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, Beryl is expected to “remain a dangerous major hurricane” as it moves through the Windward Islands.
Beryl will continue to move westward across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea through at least Wednesday, the agency added. It is moving at about 20 mph (32 kph).
“Potentially catastrophic wind damage is expected where Beryl’s core is moving,” he added. The storm could also cause water levels to rise up to 2.7 metres above normal tide levels, accompanied by “large and destructive waves.”
Hurricane winds extended up to 35 miles outward from the center, while tropical storm winds could extend up to 115 miles. Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport recorded gusts of up to 45 miles per hour, he added.
Beryl had gained strength last week and became an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm as it approached the islands early Sunday before stabilizing slightly. Although winds decreased slightly overnight, the center said “the area of strongest winds has expanded, so hurricane dangers are likely to affect a larger area.”
In Barbados, authorities began opening emergency shelters on Sunday evening, ordering all businesses to close by 7 p.m. Its water authority also urged people to stockpile drinking water as water pipes would be closed as a precaution.
Thousands of people flocked to the Caribbean island to watch the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final this weekend. But worsening weather conditions prevented many, including the victorious Indian team, from leaving.
“Some of them have never been through a storm before,” Prime Minister Mia Mottley said, according to the Associated Press.
On Monday morning, the country’s meteorological department said it had recorded gusts of up to 103 km/h. Maritime conditions “continue to deteriorate,” it said in an advisory, adding that Beryl’s centre was expected to move about 130 km south of the island.
U.S. forecasters added that while Beryl is expected to move further west, “it is too early to discuss what might happen to Beryl if it reaches the Gulf of Mexico.”
