Hurricane Beryl became a category 4 hurricane Sunday just before it was forecast to affect the Windward Islands.
Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center said that after rapidly strengthening for two days straight, Beryl's intensity appeared to have leveled off.
Both the NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunters were scheduled to investigate The extremely dangerous category 4 Hurricane Beryl again later Sunday evening.
The NHC said that a continued relatively quick westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next several days. Only a minor shift to the north has been made this cycle, following the trend in the latest models.
The NHC said that fluctuations in strength are common in major hurricanes in conducive environments, and it is expected that Beryl will also fluctuate in strength for the next day or so. There is high confidence that Beryl will remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in the Windward Islands.
As the hurricane tracks across the Caribbean Sea, there likely will be a gradual increase in wind shear, which should induce a slow weakening trend. However, it should be emphasized that Beryl is forecast to remain a significant hurricane during its entire trek across the Caribbean region.
The system was first identified as Tropical Depression Two on Friday evening. A few hours later, the storm had organized enough to be classified as a tropical storm and it was given the name Beryl late Friday night.
By late Saturday morning, Beryl had continued to strengthen: Maximum sustained winds were 65 mph and pressure dropped to 998 mb. The storm’s position was 820 miles east of Barbados just before noon on Saturday.
Over the next few days, Beryl is expected to travel through an environment that is quite supportive of tropical convection.
Forecasters expect the storm to become the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season by early Sunday morning as it tracks due westward toward the Lesser Antilles.
By early Monday, Beryl will approach Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Martinique and it is expected that the storm will have strengthened into a major category 3 hurricane.
In anticipation of Beryl’s arrival to the Lesser Antilles, a Hurricane Watch has been issued by local governments over Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Martinique and Tobago.
Steering winds should guide Beryl through the above-mentioned islands on Monday, and then into the Caribbean Sea during the middle of the week.
Some weakening is expected during this period, although Beryl should still retain hurricane strength.
It is important to note that the forecast track beyond Tuesday is uncertain and could change. Interests throughout the Caribbean, including the Greater Antilles, are urged to monitor the forecast closely.
As of Saturday, there are no immediate threats from Beryl to the Southeast. Even so, residents and visitors alike across the region are advised to monitor conditions and forecasts during the middle and end of the week.
From the National Hurricane Center, other weather systems being watched include:
Northwestern Caribbean/Southwestern Gulf of Mexico (AL94): A broad area of low pressure over the northwestern Caribbean Sea near the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula continues to produce widespread but disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity.
Development of this low is not anticipated before it moves inland over the Yucatan Peninsula later today.
The system is then forecast to move west-northwestward, emerging over the Bay of Campeche tonight or early Sunday, where conditions appear generally conducive for further development.
A tropical depression could form before the system moves inland again early next week over Mexico. Regardless of development, heavy rainfall associated with the area of low pressure will affect portions of Central America and Mexico through early next week.*
Formation chances: through 48 hours, medium, 40 percent; through 7 days, medium, 40 percent.
Eastern Tropical Atlantic (AL96): Showers and thunderstorms continue in association with an area of low pressure located several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.
Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form by the middle part of this week while it moves generally westward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.
Interests in the Lesser Antilles should monitor the progress of this system.
Formation chances through 48 hours are medium at 40 percent, and through 7 days are high at 70 percent.
Copyright 2024 Storm Center . The National Hurricane Center and WGCU staff contributed to this report.