From the heart of SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The southeast Caribbean is bracing itself for the arrival of Tropical Storm Beryl, which is steadily making its way towards the region. The storm is predicted to intensify into the first hurricane of the year before it reaches Barbados late on Sunday.
Barbados is currently under a hurricane watch, with the island’s meteorological service issuing warnings of potential flash flooding and power outages. Beryl is anticipated to escalate into a formidable Category 2 storm before it makes landfall in Barbados, with its center projected to pass approximately 26 miles south of the island, according to Sabu Best, the director of the meteorological service.
As of Saturday, Beryl was situated roughly 890 miles (1,435 kilometers) east-southeast of Barbados, boasting maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and moving west at a speed of 21 mph.
Forecasters have advised that other islands in the vicinity, including Martinique, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, should also prepare for the storm.
Beryl’s strength is being fueled by warm waters, with the ocean heat content in the deep Atlantic currently at record highs for this time of year, as reported by Brian McNoldy, a tropical meteorology researcher at the University of Miami.
Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University, noted that Beryl is the most powerful June tropical storm on record that far east in the tropical Atlantic.
Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley urged readiness in a public address late Friday, stating, “We need to be ready. You and I know when these things happen, it is better to plan for the worst and pray for the best.”
Mottley also highlighted that thousands of people are currently in Barbados for the Twenty20 World Cup cricket final, with India and South Africa set to play in the capital, Bridgetown, on Saturday.
Some cricket fans, such as Shashank Musku, a 33-year-old physician from Pittsburgh, were scrambling to alter their flight plans to avoid the storm. Musku, who has never experienced a hurricane, stated, “I don’t plan on being in one, either.”
He and his wife, who are supporting India, learned about Beryl from a taxi driver who mentioned the storm.
Beryl is the second named storm in what is expected to be an active hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30 in the Atlantic. Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in northeast Mexico, bringing heavy rains that resulted in four fatalities.
Michael Lowry, a Florida-based hurricane expert, noted in a forecast that “The development of a tropical storm this far east in the tropical Atlantic is uncommon, though not unprecedented. Only five named storms on record have formed in the tropical Atlantic east of the Caribbean.”
He added that only one hurricane of record has formed east of the Caribbean in June.
Mark Spence, a hostel manager in Barbados, expressed calmness about the approaching storm in a phone interview, stating, “It’s the season. You can get a storm any time. I’m always prepared. I always have enough food in my house.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the 2024 hurricane season will likely be significantly above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast also predicts as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season typically produces 14 named storms, seven of which escalate into hurricanes, and three of which become major hurricanes.
Beryl is predicted to bring up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain to Barbados and nearby islands, and a high surf warning has been issued for waves up to 13 feet (4 meters).
The storm is approaching the southeast Caribbean just days after the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago experienced major flooding in the capital of Port-of-Spain due to an unrelated weather event.
In other news, an unnamed storm earlier this June dumped more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain on parts of South Florida, leaving numerous motorists stranded on flooded streets and causing water to seep into some homes in low-lying areas.
I agree that we should monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Beryl closely to ensure the safety of those in its path.
Let’s hope the storm weakens and doesn’t cause too much damage.