"Beryl" hits the island of Carriacou at 240 km/h
Unusually early in the Caribbean, the tropical season begins with unusual severity. Several countries in the region have warned their populations urgently about an outdoor presence.
With wind speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour, Hurricane "Beryl" hit land in the Caribbean. The extremely dangerous hurricane, classified as such by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), reached the island of Carriacou belonging to Grenada at 11:10 am (17:10 pm EDT).
The agency had previously issued a stern warning. Preparations for the protection of the population were taken on several Caribbean islands. "This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the NHC declared. It urged the inhabitants of the Caribbean islands to stay in their houses and homes until further notice.
"Beryl" is the first storm of the season and had grown into an especially dangerous Hurricane Category 4 hurricane over the Atlantic - and that in less than 24 hours. According to experts, the formation of such a large storm at this early stage in the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which lasts from the beginning of June to the end of November, is extremely rare. No storm over the Atlantic has ever reached Category 4 before June.
"Potentially catastrophic storm damage"
According to NHC warnings, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the areas most at risk. There are expected to be "potentially catastrophic storm damages." Hurricane warnings were also issued for Barbados and Tobago. For Jamaica, Trinidad, Martinique, St. Lucia, parts of the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, only a warning for a tropical storm was given.
The Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, appealed to the people to quickly secure themselves against the hurricane and observe the nighttime curfew. In a Facebook post, he warned of "strong winds and damages." A Caricom meeting in Grenada had to be postponed due to the hurricane. In Tobago, according to official reports, the state of emergency was declared, and schools were closed.
Previously, strong winds and heavy rain had been reported from Barbados. The people there stormed supermarkets and small grocery stores to stock up on essentials. In a video message, Interior Minister Wilfred Abrahams urged the population to stay in their homes until the all-clear signal.
The Foreign Office in Berlin updated its travel and safety advice for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago due to the hurricane. Travelers were advised to follow the news and heed the instructions of local authorities.
According to NHC estimates, "Beryl" will maintain its strength during its passage through the Caribbean. Residents and authorities in the region were urged to closely monitor the storm's progress.
Extreme weather events such as hurricanes have become more frequent in the past years due to climate change and caused greater damages. The US agency for Ocean and Atmosphere (NOAA) announced at the end of May that it expects an "exceptional" hurricane season in this year with up to seven storms of category 3 or higher.
The International community expresses concern over the impact of climate change on hurricane severity in the Caribbean. Exceptionally early and severe hurricanes, like Hurricane "Beryl," pose a significant threat to global warming-heightened coastal regions.
Given the urgency of the situation, global efforts to mitigate climate change and develop hurricane-resilient infrastructure in the Caribbean become increasingly essential to prevent catastrophic storm damage.
