Hurricane warning issued for Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl hits the eastern Caribbean

At 10 a.m. Monday, the Government of Jamaica issued a Hurricane Watch for the island as Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, made landfall in the eastern Caribbean.

The island’s Hurricane Watch means hurricane-related conditions are possible within 48 hours. Hurricane Beryl, now Category 4, is likely to weaken when it hits the island on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has called on Jamaican fishermen, especially those along the southern coast, to evacuate immediately.

Impact of Hurricane Berly on Caribbean Islands

On Monday, Hurricane Berly made landfall on Grenada and Carriacou Island in the Grenadines, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. It is the strongest known hurricane to pass through this region.

The hurricane’s path of destruction stretched from Trinidad and Tobago northward through St. Lucia and Martinique, with the center barreling toward the region Monday morning. Grenada and the Grenadines were most at risk of being hit by the storm’s core.

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The hurricane’s powerful winds and heavy rain caused power outages, flooded streets and caused storm surge flooding in parts of the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados and Tobago, the National Hurricane Center said.

Airports in Barbados, Grenada and Saint Lucia were closed on Sunday evening as Berly approached. Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport is expected to reopen Tuesday morning, a spokesperson said. Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados and Hewanorra International and George Charles Airports in St. Lucia have also ceased operations.

Grenadines Governor-General Cecile La Grenade has declared a state of emergency, which will remain in effect until Tuesday morning. All businesses must close except essential services such as police, hospitals, prisons, waste management and ports.

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“I want everyone in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to take this very seriously,” Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said. “There are people who are hoping for the best, and we all have to do that, but we all have to prepare for the worst.”

Berly’s arrival marks an exceptionally early start to the Atlantic hurricane season. On Sunday, it became the first Category 4 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and the only Category 4 hurricane ever recorded in June.

The exceptionally warm ocean waters that have fueled Berly’s rapid intensification are a clear indication that this hurricane season will be far from normal, compounded by the lingering effects of fossil fuel pollution and global warming.

Read: Strong wind advisory in effect for several Caribbean islands