Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutesHurricane 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 Windward Islands, creating an unprecedented level of destruction for this time in the hurricane season. The powerful storm hit Carriacou at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds reaching 140 mph. This event marked the first time a hurricane has made landfall on Carriacou since records began in the 1850s. By early Monday night, Beryl had intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane after sweeping over the islands.
Beryl was projected to pass near the Cayman Islands on Thursday, possibly raising water levels by 2 to 4 feet above normal tides and bringing heavy rainfall. Haiti’s southern coast was under a hurricane watch, with tropical storm conditions anticipated by Tuesday for both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Residents and visitors in the Cayman Islands, Belize, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Gulf were advised to keep a close watch on Beryl’s path, as it was expected to weaken to a tropical storm by Thursday evening.
President Joe Biden, through a statement on X, confirmed he is closely monitoring Hurricane Beryl and that his administration is prepared to assist Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the region. He has been in communication with officials, including those from USAID and FEMA.
The NHC warned that swells capable of creating life-threatening rip currents could reach southern Puerto Rico by Tuesday.
As Hurricane Beryl advances through the Caribbean, several cruise lines have adjusted their itineraries to steer clear of the storm.
Several UK airlines have been canceling flights. On Sunday, both the shuttle flight between Barbados and St. Vincent and the round trip from London Heathrow to Barbados and St. Vincent were canceled. A Virgin Atlantic flight left Barbados five hours ahead of schedule on Sunday morning to evade the hurricane.
Norwegian Cruise Line has significantly changed the schedule for its week-long voyage on the Norwegian Breakaway, which departed Miami, Florida, on Sunday. The cruise line canceled planned stops in Honduras, Harvest Caye in Belize, and Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. Instead, the ship will visit Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
Tags: AccuWeather, caribbean, caribbean travel, florida, Grenada, Grenadines, Hurricane Beryl, jamaica, Jamaica news, london heathrow, miami, Norwegian Cruise Line, St. Vincent, Storm Beryl, Storm beryl updates, travel alert, Travel News, Windward Islands
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
