Extremely strong hurricane - "Beryl" gains strength and heads for Jamaica
Exceptionally early and extremely dangerous Hurricane "Beryl" of the highest category is moving through the Caribbean with sustained wind speeds of up to 270 Kilometers per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). The hurricane is heading towards Jamaica, leaving a trail of destruction on the Windward Islands in the southeastern Caribbean.
"Beryl" is the first hurricane of the early June-lasting Atlantic season. Such a strong storm has never been recorded so early in the season before. Exceptionally warm ocean water makes such cyclones more likely.
Damage in Grenada
The storm chaser Brandon Clement filmed the so-called eyewall of "Beryl" on Monday as it made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on the island of Carriacou, which belongs to the small Caribbean country of Grenada. Roofs were torn off houses as if they were made of paper. Palms bent like matchsticks, debris flew through the air. The noise of wind and rain was deafening.
"Carriacou has been levelled within half an hour," says Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell in a live briefing. The houses on the island were almost completely destroyed.
Grenada has reported two fatalities. St. Vincent and the Grenadines have reported one death - on the island of Union, 90% of the houses were damaged or destroyed, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. Power outages and blocked roads make communication with the most affected islands difficult.
"Beryl" is the strongest Atlantic hurricane in July
"Beryl" developed into a Category 4 hurricane from a tropical storm in less than 24 hours on Sunday. Previously, Hurricane Dennis on July 8, 2005, was the earliest hurricane to become a Category 4 hurricane. "Beryl" has become even stronger after passing over Grenada. According to meteorology expert Michael Lowry on the platform X, "Beryl" is the strongest hurricane ever measured in the Atlantic in July. Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach writes that "Beryl" is the strongest hurricane ever measured over the Atlantic.
A reason for this is the extremely warm ocean water. "The current heat content of the Caribbean Sea is the same as what we normally have in mid-September," Klotzbach emphasizes. The most active phase of the hurricane season is usually between mid-August and mid-October.
Warm water forecasts an active hurricane season
Climate change increases the likelihood of strong storms like "Beryl." According to a study published in the journal "Scientific Reports" in October, tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea gain strength more quickly due to rising surface temperatures. The US Weather Service NOAA warned of a likely particularly strong hurricane season in the Atlantic this year due to the warm water and the expected onset of "La Niña," a phase of cooler water in the Pacific.
Beryl moves loudly according to the NHC in a west-northwesterly direction and is expected to pass near Jamaica on a Wednesday and near the Cayman Islands on a Thursday. It is anticipated that he will lose some strength by then but will still be on the edge of a major hurricane. Tropical storm warnings apply for the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged the population to prepare for the anticipated passage of "Beryl" with water and canned food.
National television TV and Radio Vincent and the Grenadines
The hurricane's path also includes St. Lucia and Barbados, causing concern among their residents. The Dominican Republic and Haiti have been issued tropical storm warnings. In St. George's, the capital of Grenada, heavy rains have been reported, affecting the city's infrastructure. Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean nations, such as Mexico and Haiti, are monitoring the storm's progress closely, keenly aware of the potential damages due to the ongoing hurricane season.
