Maps of Hurricane Beryl show its path and expected chance of making landfall

Beryl became the first called a hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season on Saturday, as it heads towards the southeastern Caribbean, where strong winds and torrential rain are expected.

Forecasters warned that Beryl is expected to strengthen into a dangerous major hurricane before it hits Barbados and the Windward Islands on Sunday night or Monday morning. Brian McNoldy, a tropical meteorology researcher at the University of Miami, told The Associated Press that warm water is feeding Beryl, with the ocean heat content in the deep Atlantic the highest ever recorded for this time of year.

Beryl is the first hurricane in more than 50 years to appear in the Atlantic basin before July 4. According to Weather Underground, Alma struck the Florida Keys on June 8, 1966.

Where is Hurricane Beryl headed?

According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl was located about 600 miles southeast of Barbados on Saturday night, moving west at 22 mph (35 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (59 kph).

Beryl’s center was forecast to pass about 26 miles (42 kilometers) south of Barbados, Sabu Best, director of the island’s meteorological service, told AP.

According to CBS News weather producer David Parkinson, Beryl is the easternmost hurricane to form in the month of June. Only one other hurricane has formed this far east in June — and that was in 1933.

The hurricane center reported that Beryl’s center is expected to pass over the Windward Islands, including Grenada, Martinique, St. Lucia, Dominica and St. Vincent, late Sunday evening or early Monday morning, with “life-threatening winds and storm surges.”

According to the hurricane center, Beryl is expected to become a major hurricane before it reaches the Windward Islands. Beryl was a major hurricane on Saturday night. a category 1that is a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 95 mph. When a hurricane reaches Category 3 status – that is, maximum sustained winds of 110 mph or greater – it is defined as a major hurricane.

Where will Hurricane Beryl cause rain and flooding?

Beryl is forecast to drop 3 to 6 inches of rain on Barbados and the Windward Islands and cause a storm surge of up to 6 feet (2 meters) high.

St. Vincent is expected to receive up to 6 inches of rain. Martinique, Grenada and Dominica are expected to receive 5 to 10 centimeters of rain. Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening wind gusts and storm surges to the Windward Islands from Sunday evening.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Granada and the Grenadine Islands. Martinique and Tobago are under a tropical storm warning, while Dominica is under a tropical storm watch.

According to Parkinson, it will take at least eight days for the hurricane to reach the U.S. Beryl is expected to remain south of Jamaica.

— David Parkinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.