Airports closed, Caribbean residents urged to take shelter

Airports and businesses have been closed and residents in the Caribbean have been urged to seek shelter as a potentially devastating storm hits the region.

Hurricane Beryl, which has regained strength in recent hours, has prompted warnings of life-threatening wind gusts and dangerous storm surges.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago.

Dozens of flights across the region were canceled as Beryl approached on Sunday evening, with leaders urging the public to heed the warnings.

“This is not a joke,” said Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, as he reminded people of the devastation caused by previous hurricanes in the Caribbean.

In a national address from his official residence, Mr Gonsalves said he was seeking shelter in his basement.

“The roof, and certainly the old part of the roof, probably won’t survive 150 mph winds. I’m in the process of preparing to go down,” he said.

Beryl’s power fluctuates.

The hurricane was upgraded to category four on Monday after weakening slightly earlier in the day.

The NHC said the force fluctuations were likely to continue, but warned that parts of the Windward Islands should prepare for “potentially catastrophic wind damage”.

According to the report, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada are at the greatest risk of damage.

The hurricane shelters opened at 6pm local time (10pm GMT) on Sunday.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley also called on citizens to be alert.

“We have to be ready. You and I know that when things like this happen, it’s better to plan for the worst and pray for the best,” she said.

“Don’t let your guard down,” she added.

Meteorologists say it is unusual for a hurricane of this strength to form so early in the year.

“Only five major hurricanes (Category 3+) have been recorded in the Atlantic Ocean before the first week of July,” wrote hurricane expert Michael Lowry on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Beryl would be the sixth and first to arrive this far east in the tropical Atlantic,” Lowry wrote.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that the North Atlantic could see as many as seven major hurricanes this year – up from the average of three in a season.

According to the report, record high sea surface temperatures are partly to blame.

Meteorologists have also noted how quickly Beryl developed.

The storm grew from a tropical depression to a major hurricane — Category 3 or higher — in just 42 hours, hurricane expert Sam Lillo told the Associated Press.

Much of the region has heeded the warnings.

Shops are closed and people have stocked up on fuel and groceries.

Grenada declared a state of emergency and St. Lucia imposed a “national lockdown,” ordering schools and businesses to remain closed.