Beryl Expected to Rapidly Intensify Into a Major Hurricane

Hurricane Beryl is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane and bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to the Windward Islands starting tomorrow night.

Location and Movement: As of 8 PM AST, Beryl is located at 10.2N, 50.3W, about 660 miles (1060 km) ESE of Barbados, moving west at 22 mph (35 km/h). The maximum sustained winds have increased to 80 mph (130 km/h), with higher gusts, and it’s expected to strengthen quickly. The center of Beryl is forecasted to move across the Windward Islands late Sunday night and Monday.

Watches and Warnings:

Hurricane Warnings: Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Grenada.
Tropical Storm Warnings: Martinique, Tobago.
Tropical Storm Watch: Dominica.

Hazards Affecting Land:

Wind: Devastating wind damage is expected where Beryl’s eye wall moves through portions of the Windward Islands. Tropical storm conditions will make outdoor preparations difficult or dangerous starting Sunday night.

Storm Surge: A life-threatening storm surge could raise water levels by 5 to 7 feet above normal in the hurricane warning and watch areas, with large and destructive waves near the coast.

Rainfall: Beryl may bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday night into Monday, potentially causing flooding in vulnerable areas. Southeastern Puerto Rico could see 1 to 4 inches of rain Monday night into Tuesday, and southern Hispaniola might get 2 to 6 inches of rain Tuesday into Wednesday.

Surf: Swells generated by Beryl are expected to reach the Windward and southern Leeward Islands by late Sunday, causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Category: ALL POSTS, Severe Weather, Tropical