Tropical Storm Beryl became the first hurricane of the season in the Caribbean

Tropical Storm Beryl reached hurricane status Saturday night, when its winds exceeded 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Category 1 hurricane approaches Barbados and is expected to cause life-threatening storm surge and dangerous rip currents in the Atlantic.

The Barbados government has issued a hurricane warning.

There is a hurricane warning in effect for Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada and a tropical storm watch for Martinique, Dominica and Tobago. Additional warnings are expected as Hurricane Beryl moves deeper into the Caribbean.

Beryl may bring 1 to 4 inches of rain to southeastern Puerto Rico Monday night and into Tuesday.

Its maximum winds are expected to reach 115 mph Monday morning and 120 mph Monday night.

Hurricane Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 season. Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, left at least four people dead in Mexico after making landfall on June 20.

Life-threatening storm surge and flooding likely

Hurricane Beryl is expected to generate Life-threatening ocean activity in the Caribbean from Sunday to Monday.

The National Hurricane Center said Saturday that a storm is expected to Storm surge reaches 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels and bring “large and destructive waves” to the coast. The storm is also likely to bring dangerous rip current conditions.

Inland, rains could cause flooding and between 3 and 6 inches are expected in Barbados and the Windward Islands from Sunday night into Monday.

A more active hurricane season

This year, the Atlantic will have a well above average hurricane season, with the possibility of up to thirteen hurricanes, of which up to seven can be of higher category, according to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The forecast reflects that this year a total of between 17 and 25 storms may form, that is, with maximum sustained winds above 62 kilometers per hour.

Keep reading:
• Hurricane season in the United States this year will be above average, warns
• Storm Alberto has left three dead in Mexico and keeps Texas on alert for flooding
• The impressive images of the havoc left in its wake by Storm Alberto in Mexico and Texas, which caused at least 3 deaths