"Beryl" sweeps through the Caribbean with 260 kilometers per hour

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• Hurricane Beryl became the first dangerous hurricane of the season to make landfall in the Lesser Antilles on Monday.
• The storm intensified to a category 5 hurricane, smashing roofs, windows and doors, tearing up banana trees and killing cows in pastures.
• From St. Lucia to Grenada, roads were littered with shoes, trees, downed power lines and other debris.
• There was one fatality in Grenada.
• The US weather agency NOAA is expecting an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic this year.

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The dangerously strong hurricane "Beryl" has caused severe damage in the south-east of the Caribbean. It made landfall on Monday morning (local time) as a category 4 hurricane over the island of Carriacou, which belongs to Grenada, according to the US hurricane center NHC. It has since been upgraded to category 5 - the highest for hurricanes. Beryl" is expected to approach Jamaica soon.

According to the NHC, sustained wind speeds of up to 260 kilometers per hour were measured late in the evening (local time). According to experts, not even a category 4 hurricane had been measured in the Atlantic so early in the year. "Beryl" is the first hurricane of this year's season.

Devastation with extensive damage to houses was reported from the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, said Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell in a briefing. Power was out everywhere and communication between the islands was difficult. One death has been recorded so far - this occurred when a tree fell on a house.

In addition to Grenada, several other island states in the Lesser Antilles experienced strong winds and heavy rain, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia. Pictures on social media show flooding, palm trees bending in the wind and the rubble of damaged houses. The NHC warned of extremely dangerous conditions with life-threatening winds and storm surges.

Fishing boats tangled up by "Beryl" in Barbados. (July 1, 2024)

Picture: Keystone/AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

Cricket world champions from India are stuck

Numerous flights in the region were canceled due to the hurricane. India's national men's cricket team is stuck in Barbados after winning the T20 World Cup on Saturday, Indian media reported.

"Beryl" is moving in a west-northwesterly direction. It is expected to remain an extremely dangerous, severe hurricane as it moves across the eastern Caribbean, according to the NHC. The eye of the storm is forecast to approach Jamaica on Wednesday. In a press conference, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called on the population to use the time to prepare themselves and stock up on water and canned food, among other things. On Thursday, "Beryl" is expected to hit the Mexican peninsula of Yucatán, where vacation resorts such as Cancún are located.

Historic hurricane

In less than 24 hours on Sunday, it had already developed from a tropical storm to a category 4 hurricane. "Beryl is now the earliest Category 4 Atlantic hurricane on record, surpassing Hurricane Dennis, which became a Category 4 hurricane on July 8, 2005," wrote expert Michael Lowry on the X platform.

"Beryl" is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. The most active time is usually around September. A hurricane is defined as having wind speeds of 119 kilometers per hour or more, with the highest category - 5 - starting at 251 kilometers per hour.

Hurricane season may be stronger than usual this year

The US weather agency NOAA is expecting an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. Causes include above-average water temperatures in the Atlantic and the expected onset of "La Niña", a phase of cooler water in the Pacific.

Climate change is also a factor. Global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms.