Hurricane Beryl strengthens to category 5, threatens to devastate the Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl has intensified rapidly, escalating from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 4 storm in less than 10 hours. It has now reached Category 5 strength and is moving across the eastern Caribbean, approaching Jamaica. The storm is expected to cause severe damage, including power outages and flooding in many areas.

Forming earlier and more intensely than usual for this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Beryl could signal an unusual hurricane season due to the record-breaking temperatures in the Atlantic. The storm currently has winds of up to 260 km/h and is moving at a significant speed. Forecasts predict that the storm could bring 10 to 20 cm of rain on July 3, with some areas receiving up to 30 cm.

Jamaica has been under a hurricane warning since Monday. Tropical storm warnings have also been issued for the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Residents on other islands in the eastern Caribbean have been preparing by securing their windows, stocking up on food, and fueling their cars ahead of the storm.

Mexico has also begun preparations for Hurricane Beryl, with federal authorities urging people to exercise “extreme caution.” Officials are currently assessing the damage caused by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Chris in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz.

On the island of Tobago, a hotel and tourism group reported limited damage to hotels. Curtis Douglas, president of the All Tobago Fishermen’s Association, stated that the east side of the island suffered the most damage and that the seas remain dangerous. Fishermen were given adequate warning and were able to secure their boats.

Global warming has driven temperatures in the North Atlantic to all-time highs, increasing surface evaporation, which in turn fuels more intense storms with higher wind speeds. In May, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted higher-than-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic this year, noting that ocean temperatures were unusually high.