Storm warnings are in effect for southeast Caribbean islands as Hurricane Beryl is forecast to become an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm by Monday, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami calling it a "very serious situation."
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On Sunday morning, the NHC reported Beryl had sustained winds of 155 miles per hour with stronger gusts, upgrading the storm to a Category 3 hurricane, which is classified as having winds between 111 and 129 miles per hour that can cause extensive damage.
Sunday morning's NHC advisory warned that Beryl is set to bring "destructive hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge" to the Windward Islands, including Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Grenada and Tobago, early Monday. The NHC said, "This is a very serious situation developing for the Windward Islands."
The storm is forecast to become "an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane before it reaches the Windward Islands," where it is expected to make landfall on Monday. Category 4 storm has sustained winds ranging from 130-156 miles per hour.
Newsweek reached out to the NHC for additional comment via email on Sunday morning.
Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry told The Associated Press in a phone interview, "Beryl is an extremely dangerous and rare hurricane for this time of year in this area. Unusual is an understatement. Beryl is already a historic hurricane and it hasn't struck yet."
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June marks the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, but it typically sees fewer and less severe storms. Beryl is the second named storm to form in the Atlantic this year. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, data from 1851 to 2022 shows that only 6 percent of tropical storms in the Atlantic Basin occurred in June.
If Beryl does become a Category 4 by the time it hits the islands, it will become the strongest hurricane in the area since Hurricane Ivan, which eventually became a Category 5 storm, stuck in 2004. It is the earliest major hurricane to form in the Atlantic Basin in over 50 years, if it becomes a Category 4, it will be the earliest, strongest hurricane in the Atlantic.
Lowry said that Beryl "is a serious threat, a very serious threat."
Newsweek reached out to the Lowry for additional comment via email on Sunday morning.
The NHC predicts Beryl to "produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches across Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday night into Monday. This rainfall may cause flash flooding in vulnerable areas."
As of early Sunday morning, the NHC located the storm's eye at latitude 10.6 North, longitude 53.9 West, just over 400 miles southeast of Barbados. The storm has a "continued quick west to west-northward motion," which will bring the storm to southern Caribbean islands.
The NHC warns of a "life-threatening storm surge" that is predicted to "raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet" above normal tide levels in areas where Beryl makes landfall.