Eastern Caribbean Territories Prepare for Imminent Arrival of Hurricane Beryl

June 30, 2024 Hour: 1:44 pm

Several Eastern Caribbean territories have established this Sunday prevention and security measures, such as the closure of businesses and schools, in view of the passage of Hurricane Beryl, which has reached category 3 intensity.

Caribbean on Alert: Beryl Is Now a Hurricane and Is Forecast to Intensify Quickly, the NHC Says

The hurricane will get Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the known as the Windward Islands, as a Category 4 with dangerous winds and storm surge, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Sabu Best, director of the meteorological service of Barbados, warned Sunday that the eye of Hurricane Beryl is forecast to pass Monday morning about 112 kilometers (70 miles) south of the Caribbean island nation.

BREAKING: Hurricane #Beryl becomes the first Category 4 on record in June in the Atlantic.

There is no historical precedent. Records date back to 1851.

Record-warm waters, reminiscent of August, are present. 3-4° above average.

A strong link to human-caused #climate warming. pic.twitter.com/eWwBXHtIpW
— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) June 30, 2024

In this regard the Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, informed that the celebration of public events will not be allowed from 20:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

In the same line, the Trinidad and Tobago government on Sunday upgraded its tropical storm warning to a hurricane warning for the island of Tobago.

Likewise, the government of Saint Lucia ordered a nationwide shutdown of the public and private sectors starting at 20:30 local time (00:30 GMT): “The country will remain closed and you are requested to stay inside your homes until you are given the go-ahead to leave,” St. Lucian Prime Minister Phillip Joseph Pierre told a national radio station.

Update: 11:35 AM AST Sunday – Reconnaissance aircraft find #Beryl has strengthen into an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane with maximum winds of 130 mph. Life-threatening winds and storm surge expected in the Windward Islands beginning early Monday morning. Latest at… pic.twitter.com/CUNFkVl8Iv
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) June 30, 2024

Likewise, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves urged the population to take all necessary precautions in the face of Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to leave heavy rainfall in the country, and said that the capital, Kingstown, is expected to be flooded by sustained rainfall in a relatively short period of time.

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, who will host the annual Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders’ meeting from July 3-5, stated that no decision has yet been made on the postponement of the summit.

#GRENADA: Grenada is one of the islands in the path of Hurricane Beryl, which forecasters have described as dangerous. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell urged Grenadians to “pray and prepare” for the impact that Beryl will have on the country when it passes with 100 mph winds.
— CaribbeanNewsNetwork (@caribbeannewsuk) June 30, 2024

In addition, Mitchell urged Grenadians to “pray and prepare” for the possible impact of Beryl and asked to follow the recommendations and guidance to be provided by the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA).

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness asked Jamaicans to be alert and “take precautionary measures” as forecasts point to a direct hit from the hurricane on Wednesday that will pass 241 kilometers off the coast of Jamaica.