Facts about Hurricane Beryl.. Is it very dangerous?

2024-07-01 2024-07-01T11:42:01Z

Arabia Weather - The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Hurricane Beryl has become a “very dangerous” Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean, and the hurricane is expected to bring strong winds and flash floods to the Windward Islands in the Caribbean Sea as its strength rapidly intensifies until Monday.

Facts about Hurricane Beryl

The first hurricane of the 2024 season was located about 310 miles (500 kilometers) east-southeast of Barbados on Sunday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph), the center said in a warning.

The center indicated that the hurricane's center is expected to move across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea from Monday through Wednesday, and is expected to remain a Category 4 hurricane as it moves through the Windward Islands.

The center added that it is rare for a major hurricane to appear so early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which extends from June 1 to November 30. On Sunday, Beryl became the first Category 4 hurricane recorded this season, beating Hurricane Dennis, which reached Category 4 status on July 8, 2005, according to data from the US National Hurricane Center.

“The number of storms that form over the central or eastern tropical Atlantic early in the year is very small,” John Cangialosi, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center, described in a report Friday.

Beryl is reported to be the third oldest major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean after Alma (1966) and Audrey (1957).

Beryl went from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 39 hours, a feat that has only happened six other times in Atlantic hurricane history, according to Sam Lilo, a weather researcher at forecasting group DTN.

NPR reports that Beryl will produce severe storms in late August or September. Beryl is only the second storm in an exceptional hurricane season this year. Hurricane Beryl is carrying winds of 130 miles per hour, worrying residents in the areas it is expected to pass through.

#Beryl is now a major, Category 3 #hurricane with max winds of 115 mph - the 3rd earliest Atlantic major hurricane on record, trailing Alma (6/8/1966) and Audrey (6/27/1957). pic.twitter.com/RYXqSGomta

— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) June 30, 2024

It is noteworthy that dangerous winds begin at a speed of 58 miles per hour, and can cause broken limbs and tearing of roof panels, and the damage increases widely when winds reach hurricane force, which exceeds 74 miles per hour on average.

Despite the strength and speed of the hurricane, which worries citizens, CBS News weather expert David Parkinson expects that Beryl will remain south of Jamaica, and that any American impacts are still at least eight days away.

Beryl drew strength from the Atlantic Ocean's "record-breaking" temperatures for nearly a year. Excess heat fuels hurricanes and can lead to heavy rains and flooding.

The Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be most active in mid-August. Rick Spinrad, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), noted the importance of continued preparedness, as NOAA reports that the ocean temperature level is the highest ever for this time of year (June-August). El Niño usually helps suppress hurricane activity, but this pattern is waning, creating favorable conditions for powerful storms like Beryl to form.