Press
The Caribbean is currently being devastated by a historic hurricane. The damage is enormous – and “Beryl” threatens to move further towards the mainland.
St. George’s – A severe hurricane is currently hitting the southeastern Caribbean, causing immense damage. The authorities and governments of various countries, such as Grenada and Jamaica, are sounding the alarm and warning the population due to extremely high wind speeds.
Hurricane “Beryl” made landfall on Monday morning (local time) as a Category 4 storm over the island of Carriacou, which belongs to Grenada, as the US Hurricane Center NHC It has now been upgraded to Category 5 – the highest for hurricanes. “Beryl” is expected to approach Jamaica soon. In autumn 2023, Hurricane Otis with wind speeds of 330 km/h caused havoc in Mexico for great destruction.
Hurricane “Beryl” devastates Caribbean islands – “The only thing that helps is prayer”
According to the NHC, sustained wind speeds of up to 260 kilometers per hour were measured late Monday evening (July 1). According to experts, not even a Category 4 hurricane had been measured in the Atlantic so early in a year. “Beryl” is the first hurricane of this year’s season.
Devastation with extreme damage to houses has been reported on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, said Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell in a briefing. Power has been cut off everywhere and communication between the islands is difficult. One death has been recorded so far after a tree fell on a house. The storm also killed cows in a pasture.
“As soon as it is safe, I will travel to Carriacou to assess the damage and give the nation a comprehensive report,” said the Prime Minister. He asked the citizens of Grenada to stay safe. “There is a likelihood that the damage will become even greater,” Mitchell told reporters, according to the broadcaster. ABC11. “The only thing that helps is prayer.”
Hurricane Beryl paralyzes airports – national cricket team stranded
In addition to Grenada, several other island nations in the Lesser Antilles experienced strong winds and heavy rain, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia. Images on social media show flooding, palm trees bending in the wind and debris from damaged homes. The NHC warned of extremely dangerous conditions with life-threatening winds and storm surges.
Due to the hurricane, numerous flights in the region have been cancelled. A sports team is also affected: India’s men’s national cricket team is stuck in Barbados after winning the T20 World Cup on Saturday, Indian media reported.
Dangerous hurricane “Beryl” heads for Mexico
“Beryl” is moving towards the northwest and therefore threatens other countries. It is expected that it will remain an extremely dangerous, severe hurricane as it moves across the eastern Caribbean, according to the NHC. According to forecasts, the eye of the storm is expected to approach Jamaica on Wednesday. In a press conference, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called on the population to use the time to prepare themselves and, among other things, to stock up on water and canned food.
On Thursday, the tropical cyclone is expected to hit Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, where popular holiday destinations such as Cancún are located.
According to experts, hurricane season in 2024 will be stronger than usual
In less than 24 hours, Beryl had already developed from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday (June 30). “Beryl is now the earliest Category 4 Atlantic hurricane on record, surpassing Hurricane Dennis, which became a Category 4 hurricane on July 8, 2005,” wrote expert Michael Lowry on platform X.
It is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. The most active period is usually around September. A hurricane is defined as a wind speed of 119 kilometers per hour, with the highest category – 5 – starting at 251 kilometers per hour.
The US weather agency NOAA is expecting an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. The reasons include above-average water temperatures in the Atlantic and the expected onset of “La Niña”, a phase of cooler water in the Pacific. Climate change is also a factor. Global warming increases the likelihood of severe storms. (dpa/ac)
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