Beryl has become the first hurricane of 2024 in open Atlantic waters

SAN JUAN, (EFE).- Tropical Storm Beryl became the first hurricane of 2024 in the open waters of the Atlantic this Saturday afternoon and is expected to “intensify” in the coming days, reported the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States.

In its latest bulletin, the NHC based in Miami (Florida), warned at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (9:00 p.m. GMT) that “Beryl is now a hurricane,” with the system having maximum sustained winds of 120.7 kilometers (75 miles) per hour and moving west at about 35.4 kilometers (22 miles) per hour.

“It is expected to intensify rapidly. It is expected to bring life-threatening winds and some storm surge to the Windward Islands as a major hurricane. A hurricane warning is now in effect for the island of Barbados,” the agency said.
Beryl is located east-southeast of Barbados in the Caribbean and is expected to move across the Windward Islands next Sunday night and Monday.

Hurricane warning in the Atlantic

Meteorologists specified that hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Martinique, Dominica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Since the hurricane season began in the Atlantic basin on June 1, Tropical Storm Alberto and Hurricane Beryl have formed.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA USA), this year’s hurricane season in the Atlantic will be well above average, with thirteen storms expected, seven of which could be major.

Forecasts indicate a total of 17 to 25 storms could form this year, meaning maximum sustained winds of more than 62 kilometers (38.5 miles) per hour.