USAToday and other weather sources are reporting that Beryl − the first hurricane of the 2024 season − strengthened Sunday into a powerful Category 3 storm packing 115-mph winds as it barreled toward the Caribbean. Beryl, which was 420 miles east-southeast of Barbados on Sunday, "is now a very dangerous ... hurricane. Life-threatening winds and storm surge are expected in the Windward Islands beginning early Monday," the National Hurricane Center said.
They're saying that 'rapid intensification' was expected to continue in the next 24 hours, the center said, and Beryl would likely become "an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane" that could deliver a devastating strike on the Windward Islands. Wind speeds on the islands could be up to 30% stronger on the tops and windward sides of hills and mountains, possibly even higher, the center said.
Having lived through at least six 'Cat 4' hurricanes, including Marilyn -
the storm that destroyed my own house down to the slab - I can tell you that I keep a close watch on these things out of habit. The one good thing about where I live - dead nuts in the middle of the state - is that no hurricane with that much strength can can hit us here. If it ever did, the fatality count would be in the tens of thousands. Juss' sayin'...
The season technically started a month ago. I'm more surprised that will all the pronouncements about the dust cloud from Africa, that this is actually taking shape. The "experts" were claiming that it would suppress formation.
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