Local authorities on the island of Carriacou have already reported roofs blown off buildings. Photos also show how streets in Hastings in Barbados are flooded.
The last time such a powerful hurricane hit this part of the Caribbean was 20 years ago, when Hurricane Ivan killed dozens of people in Granada.
“Extremely dangerous”
The US hurricane center NHC has warned that Beryl will be an “extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane”. The hurricane may reach wind speeds of 240 km/h.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, along with Grenada, are most at risk of being at the center of the storm, according to the NHC.
– Life-threatening winds and storm surges are expected soon on parts of the Windwar Islands, NHC wrote in an update at 5 am Norwegian time.
Hurricane warnings have been issued for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago, the smaller of the two islands that make up the country of Trinidad and Tobago. Schools in the country are closed on Monday.
Curfew
In Grenada, residents have been asked to seek refuge, and a curfew has been issued from 7pm on Monday evening until 7am on Tuesday morning.
In Barbados’ capital Bridgetown, cars lined up at petrol stations as people flocked to supermarkets and convenience stores to buy food, water and other supplies on Monday morning. Some have re-nailed their houses in anticipation of the storm.
It is rare for major hurricanes to appear this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Beryl is the earliest category 4 hurricane
It is expected to maintain high strength as it passes through the Caribbean, according to the NHC, which is warning people in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and the rest of the northwestern Caribbean to keep a close watch.
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2024-07-04 00:35:08
