Hurricane Beryl, an unusually powerful storm for this early in the season, has left a path of destruction across the southeastern Caribbean as it moves towards Jamaica. The hurricane, which weakened to a Category 4 on Tuesday, is still considered “extremely dangerous” and is expected to pass near or over Jamaica on Wednesday, according to forecasters.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica, urging residents to be in their safe place by nightfall and prepared to shelter in place throughout Wednesday. NHC director Michael Brennan warned of life-threatening wind, storm surge, rain, and flash flooding. Prime Minister Andrew Holness advised Jamaicans to stock up on essential supplies and secure their homes and critical documents.
Beryl has already claimed at least five lives, with three fatalities in Grenada, one in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and one in Venezuela. Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell reported that the island of Carriacou, which was directly hit by the storm’s eye, has been nearly cut off, with extensive damage to houses, telecommunications, and fuel facilities.
The formation of such a powerful storm this early in the Atlantic hurricane season is highly unusual, and experts attribute it to the influence of ocean temperatures on hurricane development and intensity. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that Beryl “sets an alarming precedent for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.”
UN climate chief Simon Stiell, whose family’s property on Carriacou was damaged, highlighted the role of climate change in driving disasters to unprecedented levels of destruction. As Beryl continues its path towards Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, with hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings also issued for parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the region has been bracing for the impact.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica, urging residents to be in their safe place by nightfall and prepared to shelter in place throughout Wednesday. NHC director Michael Brennan warned of life-threatening wind, storm surge, rain, and flash flooding. Prime Minister Andrew Holness advised Jamaicans to stock up on essential supplies and secure their homes and critical documents.
Beryl has already claimed at least five lives, with three fatalities in Grenada, one in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and one in Venezuela. Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell reported that the island of Carriacou, which was directly hit by the storm’s eye, has been nearly cut off, with extensive damage to houses, telecommunications, and fuel facilities.
The formation of such a powerful storm this early in the Atlantic hurricane season is highly unusual, and experts attribute it to the influence of ocean temperatures on hurricane development and intensity. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that Beryl “sets an alarming precedent for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.”
UN climate chief Simon Stiell, whose family’s property on Carriacou was damaged, highlighted the role of climate change in driving disasters to unprecedented levels of destruction. As Beryl continues its path towards Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, with hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings also issued for parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the region has been bracing for the impact.
