CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - Hurricane Beryl, which strengthened into a Category 5 storm, has set an ominous new record, becoming the earliest of that strength ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.
Beryl is also the earliest major hurricane there in 58 years and it's the easternmost to form in the tropical Atlantic in June.
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The storm is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica on Wednesday. Hurricane Hunters are reporting little change in strength over the past few hours as of 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Beryl ripped off doors, windows and roofs in homes across the southeastern Caribbean on Monday after making landfall on the island of Carriacou in Grenada as the earliest Category 4 storm in the Atlantic, fueled by its record-warm waters. It was upgraded to a Category 5 on Monday night.
READ MORE: Hurricane Beryl rips through open waters after devastating the southeast Caribbean
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the eye of Hurricane Beryl was located near latitude 15.0 North, longitude 67.9 West, 300 miles southeast of Isla Beata in the Domincan Republic.
Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 22 mph and is forecast to continue moving rapidly west-northwestward during the next couple of days and turn westward by Thursday.
On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will move quickly across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea Tuesday and is forecast to pass near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday.
Reports from NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds remain near 165 mph with higher gusts. Beryl is a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Weakening should begin later on Tuesday, but Beryl is still expected to be near major hurricane intensity as it moves into the central Caribbean and passes near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday.
Additional weakening is expected thereafter, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.
NOAA buoy 42059 to the north of the eye recently reported sustained winds of 72 mph and a wind gust of 94 mph. The minimum central pressure estimated from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft data is 934 mb or 27.58 inches.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica, a hurricane watch is in effect for the Cayman Islands and a tropical storm warning for the south coast of the Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward to the border with Haiti and for the south coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Anse d'Hainault.
Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the coast on Jamaica within the warning area on Wednesday. Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength early on Wednesday, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area along the south coast of Hispaniola later Tuesday. Hurricane conditions could begin on Thursday across the Cayman Islands.
Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the immediate coast of Jamaica. Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level in areas of onshore winds along the southern coast of Hispaniola.
Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with localized maximums of 12 inches, in portions of Jamaica on Wednesday. This rainfall may cause flash flooding in vulnerable areas. Rainfall from outer bands of Beryl may impact portions of Hispaniola into Wednesday, with 2 to 6 inches of rain possible.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the 2024 hurricane season is likely to be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast calls for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Chris had weakened to a tropical depression Monday morning over the rugged terrain of eastern Mexico, but said its associated remnant trough produced a large area of heavy rain over portions of eastern Mexico for several hours.
The center discontinued further advisories on Chris Monday.
Another system located about 1,000 miles east-southeast of the Windward Islands was producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Experts said environmental conditions were expected to only marginally support tropical development at this point, giving it only a 30% chance of development into at least a tropical depression over the next seven days. That's down from a 40% chance as of Monday night.