Several Caribbean nations in the eastern region are now on tropical storm and hurricane watches as Tropical Storm Beryl formed in the Atlantic east of the Windward Islands on Friday.
The National Hurricane Center reports that by Saturday night or Sunday morning, the storm could become Hurricane Beryl as it moves westward. It officially became the second named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, turning into a tropical storm on Friday about 1,100 miles southeast of the Windward Islands at the Caribbean’s eastern edge.
As of the 8 a.m. advisory on Saturday, Tropical Storm Beryl was moving at around 21 mph with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was located 890 miles east-southeast of Barbados. Tropical storm-force winds are projected to extend 45 miles from the center.
The storm is expected to pass over the Windward Islands from Sunday night into Monday, posing risks of heavy rain, hurricane-force winds, and dangerous storm surges and waves. A hurricane watch has been issued for Barbados, with more expected later on Saturday as the system advances into the Lesser Antilles, which includes the Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, and Leeward Antilles.
Barbados and nearby islands could see 3 to 6 inches of rain, potentially causing localized flooding in vulnerable areas, along with life-threatening surf and rip currents.
Countries currently under a hurricane watch include Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia. Tobago and Martinique are under a tropical storm watch.
Forecast for Tropical Storm Beryl
The National Hurricane Center advises people in the central and western Caribbean to keep an eye on the storm’s progress, noting that the forecast margin of error can be significant four or five days in advance.
By Sunday evening, as Beryl enters the Caribbean Sea, it could have winds up to 105 mph, according to the official forecast. Although atmospheric conditions in June typically don’t favor storm strengthening, some computer models suggest the storm could become a major hurricane before reaching the Windward Islands.
Once the storm enters the Caribbean, the forecast models are not yet in agreement on its potential path. Currently, the forecast cone indicates that the hurricane’s center could be near or over the western half of the Dominican Republic and Haiti by Tuesday evening and near Jamaica or eastern Cuba by Wednesday evening.
