ATLANTA — Hurricane Beryl has rapidly intensified and is now a Category 4 hurricane. This is the earliest ever Cat 4 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin. The old record was Hurricane Dennis from July 8, 2005.
Beryl now has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph with gusts up to 160. It continues to move swiftly to the WNW at 18 mph.
The storm underwent rapid intensification, which is when the winds of a storm increase at least 35 miles per hour in a 24-hour period. The storm first became a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph Saturday at 5pm. The max winds climbed up to 115 mph by Sunday at 8 a.m., making it a Category 3 hurricane. Then by 12:30 p.m. in the afternoon, it reached the Cat 4 threshold.
Beryl is forecast to stay a dangerous Cat 4 hurricane Sunday evening before passing the Lesser Antilles. It then heads into the Caribbean Sea. It will pass close to Jamaica Wednesday. Then by Thursday, approach Cancun, Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Hurricane Warnings have been issued for St. Lucia, Barbados, and the Island of Tobago. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for Martinique, and a Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Dominica and also now the southern part of Hispaniola.
The storm formed in the "Main Development Region" of the tropics, a place where tropical waves come off the coast of Africa and have opportunity to develop as they cross the Atlantic. The MDR, for short, is well out in the Atlantic and is most active around the peak of hurricane season, Sept. 10. Often early in the season, large plumes of Saharan Dust can inhibit tropical formation or development.
Beryl is the second name on the list for the Atlantic Basin in the 2024 season.
