Hurricane Beryl is picking up speed as it moves west on its path of destruction. Late Monday night, the storm made landfall on Grenada’s Carriacou Island, then continued its path west in the Caribbean.
“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. Take action now to protect your life!” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said ahead of Monday’s landfall. “Residents in the Grenadine Islands and Carriacou Island should not leave their shelter, as winds will rapidly increase within the eyewall of Beryl.”
The storm was upgraded to Category 5 as its winds increased to over 160 mph on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. At least one person has died, and thousands remained without power and are living in shelters in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Saint Lucia.
“Fluctuations in strength are likely during the next day or so, but Beryl is expected to still be near major hurricane intensity as its moves into the central Caribbean and passes near Jamaica on Wednesday,” the NHC said. As it continues churning, the NHC said it expects “life-threatening winds and storm surge.”
Why Hurricane Beryl is historic
If you’re thinking it’s early in the season to be worried about an intense summer hurricane, you’re not wrong. It’s only the second time an Atlantic hurricane has reached Category 5 intensity by July, according to the NHC. Hurricane Emily, which did so on July 17, 2005, was the first. Beryl is also the earliest Category 5 storm on record in the Atlantic.
It’s not all that surprising, however. Meteorologists have predicted an active and intense 2024 hurricane season. In part, that’s due to human-driven climate change, with record-high temperatures already on the books this summer. As ocean temperatures warm, the risk of intense hurricanes goes up.
Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said there was an 85% chance that the Atlantic hurricane season will be above average in storm activity.
How to track Hurricane Beryl’s path in real time
By Tuesday morning, Beryl was 300 miles east-southeast of the Dominican Republic’s Isla Beata, still making its path west and maintaining its Category 5 status with 165 mph winds.
As it continues its westward path, Jamaica is under a hurricane warning. Hurricane watches are in effect for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac, and tropical storm warnings are in effect for the south coasts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
By Friday, the storm may impact Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Hurricanes can change paths quickly, which is why tracking the storm is so important, especially for a storm this intense. If you’re looking for ways to track the storm’s path, we’ve rounded up some resources below: