ATLANTA — Beryl remains a very strong and dangerous hurricane in the Caribbean. After maintaining category 5 strength earlier this week, the storm is now a high-end category 4 hurricane.
It has been gradually weakening as it encounters more wind shear. Beryl is producing sustained winds of 145 mph as it moves WNW at 18 mph.
Hurricane Beryl will come close to the Jamaica coast today, potentially making landfall. Life-threatening storm surge and rain are expected.
It will continue to move westward through the Caribbean Sea, impacting the Cayman Islands before making landfall along the Yucatán Peninsula Thursday. While weakening is expected, Beryl will likely still be a hurricane as it approaches Mexico.
Beryl will re-emerge in the Bay of Campeche and Gulf of Mexico by this weekend.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Various hurricane and tropical storm alerts have also been issued along the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula.
A Hurricane Warning is now in effect for Jamaica, and a Tropical Storm Warning and hurricane watch is in effect for the southern coasts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. A Hurricane Watch has also been issued for the Cayman Islands and southern Haiti.
Additional watches and warnings may be issued as Beryl progresses west.
We are watching some trends in the extended models of somewhat of an northward turn once it moves into the southern Gulf of Mexico. That would increase the threats for southern Texas. It's still too early to be specific about any US threats at this time. We will keep tracking it.
The storm formed in the "Main Development Region" of the tropics, a place where tropical waves come off the coast of Africa and have the 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.
Tropical Storm Chris formed briefly in the southern Gulf. It moved inland along the coast of Mexico and weakened quickly. There is another potential system that we are watching behind Beryl. This system has a low chance of developing. Environmental conditions aren't that favorable for much strengthening. Interests in the Windward Islands need to monitor this system as it moves westward. The next name on the list is Debby.
