Beryl’s projected path. Map courtesy National Hurricane Center
June 29 (UPI) — The Atlantic’s first hurricane of the season developed into a Category 4 storm Sunday and was barreled toward the Windward Islands, packing winds of 130 mph, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.
Hurricane Beryl, the second named storm of the year, intensified from a depression into a hurricane in one day as it is intensifying quickly and bearing down on Barbados.
“A life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore flow near where the eye makes landfall in the hurricane warning area,” the NHC said, adding that the surge could bring large and destructive waves near the coast.
It’s the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record in the Atlantic and the only Category 4 storm ever recorded in June.
Hurricane warnings remain in place for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Grenada, and Tobago, where it is likely to produce 3 to 6 inches of rain across Barbados and the Windward Islands through Monday, the NHC said.
“Reconnaissance aircraft find Beryl now an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane,” NOAA said in a storm update Sunday afternoon.
The first hurricane usually isn’t recorded until Aug. 11, Fox Weather reported. Beryl is the earliest major hurricane – defined as one that is Category 3 or higher – in the Atlantic in 58 years according to records from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Only seven named storms have formed over the last 173 years in this sector of the Atlantic before July 4, according to Accuweather.
The United States is not expected to be impacted by the storm.
“Direct impacts to the United States look unlikely; however, it is very important to note that if the high pressure across the Southeast weakens, that can allow the storm to move farther north and potentially directly impact the Gulf Coast,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva said.
The first tropical storm, Alberto, made landfall over Mexico on June 20 and then pummeled Texas the next day with rain.
A low pressure to the east of Beryl, several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, has a 30 percent chance of cyclone formation over 48 hours, according to NHC.
“This storm is expected to follow a track very similar to Beryl and can be near the Lesser Antilles around July 3-4 and could eventually bring very heavy rain to portions of the Greater Antilles,” DaSilva said.
Another potential developing storm is located over the Yucatan Peninsula, and its projected path will take over nearly the same locations where Tropical Storm Alberto tracked earlier this month. The NHC gives it a 50 percent of cyclone formation in the next 48 hours.