Hurricane Beryl already breaking records ahead of landfall

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Beryl strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Sunday, making it the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin. This storm is not an immediate threat to the First Coast.

This is the strongest hurricane ever in the month of June in the Atlantic. It is also the first major hurricane in June since Alma in 1966.

Beryl is also the eastern-most June hurricane on record.

Beryl rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to major hurricane in just 42 hours. This has happened only 6 other times in our recorded history, all of which occurred in the month of September. Warmer than normal waters are fueling the hurricane, with current water temperatures as hot as what’s typical for September.

Beryl currently has sustained winds of 120 mph, a major Category 3 hurricane. It has a history of sustained winds of 130 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles.

It is moving quickly toward the west near 20 mph. The center of Beryl is expected to move across the Windward Islands Monday morning and bring life-threatening winds and storm surge. 

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Grenada and Tobago. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Martinique and Trinidad. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Dominica, the south coast of Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward to the border with Haiti, and the south coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Anse d’Hainault.

Beryl will then head across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea late Monday through Wednesday. There is still plenty of uncertainty in the long-range forecast.

The Tropics are extremely active. In addition to Beryl, Tropical Storm Chris is making landfall in Mexico and another system following Beryl. For more information on all tropical systems, read our Talkin’ Tropics story.