Hurricane Beryl remains a dangerous Category 4 hurricane early Monday as it moves just south of Barbados and is expected to move across the Windward Islands this morning.
«Potentially catastrophic gale-force winds, life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected as Beryl passes over portions of the Windward Islands with the highest core risk in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada beginning this morning,» warns the National Hurricane Center.
The storm surge will raise water levels 2 to 3 meters above normal tidal levels in coastal wind zones close to the area where the eye of the hurricane makes landfall.
Additionally, Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 49 to 98 milliliters in Barbados and the Windward Islands through this afternoon, with up to 160 milliliters possible in some locations, especially the Grenadines and Grenada.
It should be noted that while Beryl’s maximum winds have decreased slightly overnight due to an eyewall replacement cycle, the area of strongest winds has grown, so the hurricane’s dangers are likely to affect a larger area. wide. Hurricane force winds extend up to 21 km from the center and tropical storm force winds extend up to 77 km.
Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados recently reported sustained winds of 72 km/h. with gusts of 90 km/h.
Beryl is located about 21 km east-southeast of Granada and has sustained winds of 190 km/h, with higher gusts, moving west at 32 km/h. The hurricane center notes that Beryl today has the opportunity to strengthen again now that the eyewall cycle is nearing completion.
After moving across the Windward Islands today, Beryl is forecast to move across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea late today through Wednesday and approach the Yucatan coast of Mexico later this week.
Summary of warnings and advisories below: Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Grenada and Tobago. Tropical storm warnings for Martinique and Trinidad. Tropical Storm Watch for Dominica, the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward to the border with Haiti, and the southern coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Anse d’Hainault.