Wednesday, July 3, 2024 Hurricane Beryl, now a powerful Category 5, has devastated the southern Caribbean and is heading towards Jamaica, triggering high alerts and urgent preparations. After wreaking havoc on the southern Windward Islands, Hurricane Beryl intensified overnight into Tuesday as it moved deeper into the Caribbean Sea, aiming for Jamaica and prompting warnings across Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Cayman Islands. Beryl struck Carriacou Island in Grenada as a Category 4 hurricane on Monday, with 150 mph winds, resulting in at least three fatalities and devastating Grenada, the Grenadines, and St.
Vincent. The storm regained strength over the Caribbean Sea and became the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane on Monday night. By Tuesday morning, Beryl had slightly weakened.
The National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. advisory reported maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, down from 165 mph earlier.
Despite this, Beryl remained a formidable hurricane on its westward trajectory, forecasters noted. The NHC predicted that Beryl would bring life-threatening winds and storm surges to Jamaica on Wednesday. As it neared Jamaica, wind speeds were expected to reduce to 110 mph, just below Category 3, but the storm would still pose significant dangers.
Rainfall forecasts included 4 to 8 inches, with isolated areas receiving up to 12 inches, potentially causing flash flooding. AccuWeather reported that Hurricane Beryl set new records with its devastating impact on the Win.
