Tropical Storm Beryl is advancing toward the southeastern part of the Caribbean and is expected to become a major hurricane before reaching Barbados on Sunday night. A major hurricane is a Category 3 or higher storm, with winds of at least 178 km/h.
There are hurricane warnings for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Grenada, and Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, and a tropical storm watch for Martinique and Tobago.
“It’s astonishing to see a forecast for a major hurricane in June in the Atlantic, especially in this part of the tropics,” hurricane expert Michael Lowry commented.
The center of Beryl will pass approximately 45 kilometers south of Barbados, according to Sabu Best, director of the meteorological service of the island. On Saturday, Beryl was about 1,320 kilometers east-southeast of Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h and moving west at 37 km/h. “Rapid strengthening is expected,” the National Hurricane Center reported.
The warm waters are fueling Beryl, with ocean heat content in the deep Atlantic at its highest level recorded for this time of year, according to Brian McNoldy, a tropical meteorology researcher at the University of Miami. Beryl is the strongest June tropical storm recorded in the eastern tropical Atlantic, noted Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University.
“Preparation is key,” Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said in a public message. Thousands of people are in Barbados for the Cricket World Cup final, with India and South Africa playing in Bridgetown. Some fans, like Shashank Musku, are scrambling to change their flights to leave before the storm.
Meanwhile, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced that shelters will open on Sunday night and urged the population to prepare. He ordered the government vehicles to be refueled and asked stores and gas stations to extend their hours before the storm.
Beryl could bring up to 15 centimeters of rainfall to Barbados and nearby islands, with waves up to 4 meters high and storm surges up to 2 meters.
No direct impact on Aruba
Although Beryl will not have a direct impact on Aruba, its proximity could cause adverse weather conditions. Strong winds could damage light structures and cause trees to fall, affecting power and communication supplies.
As for the sea, high waves could generate coastal erosion and put small boats at risk, as well as recreational activities on the beach.
We spoke with Rino Hermans from CMO, who commented that by Monday, as the bad weather gets closer, we might see an increase in humidity, which could lead to local rainfall.
Beryl is the second named storm in what is expected to be an active hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The 2024 season is expected to have between 17 and 25 named storms, up to 13 hurricanes, and four major hurricanes, exceeding the average.
