Hurricane Beryl moves toward Jamaica

At least 6 people died in the Caribbean as a result of Hurricane Beryl. Many houses and streets were destroyed. The storm has been moderated, but severe damage is also feared in Jamaica.

Severe Hurricane “Beryl” has weakened slightly on its way through the Caribbean. It was downgraded to the second-highest Category 4, as reported by the US Hurricane Center NHC. Accordingly, the cyclone, with winds of 250 kilometers per hour, is now below the Category 5 threshold.

The cyclone is now heading towards Jamaica, where extensive damage is also feared. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called on people to stock up on drinking water and canned food ahead of “Beryl’s” expected passage.

A total of six deaths were reported

The hurricane has already left a trail of destruction in the southeast of the Caribbean. “Beryl” washed ashore on the island of Cariaco, off the small Caribbean state of Grenada, on Monday. Film footage shows the roofs of houses being ripped off as if they were made of cardboard. Palm trees snapped like matchsticks and debris flew into the air. “Within half an hour, Cariaco was knocked to the ground,” said Dicken Mitchell, Grenada’s prime minister. The houses on the island were almost completely destroyed.

Grenada has so far reported three deaths and Venezuela has two. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines mourns a toll – 90 percent of homes in the Union Islands have been damaged or destroyed, Prime Minister Ralph Gonçalves said. Electricity and blocked roads make communication with particularly affected islands difficult.

“Beryl” is the strongest Atlantic hurricane in July

Within 24 hours, Beryl had grown from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday and strengthened further after passing Grenada. Earlier, on July 8, 2005, as expert Michael Lowry wrote on Platform X, Hurricane Dennis became the first hurricane to become a category four hurricane.

“Beryl” was the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in July, Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach wrote in X. One reason is very warm ocean water. “The current heat content of the Caribbean Ocean is similar to what we usually have in mid-September,” Klotzbach said. The most active phase of hurricane season is usually between August and mid-October.

Climate change increases the likelihood of strong storms like Beryl. According to a study published in October in the journal Scientific Reports, tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea are gaining strength at a faster rate as surface temperatures rise. The US weather agency NOAA has warned of a particularly strong hurricane season in the Atlantic this year due to the arrival of “La Niña”, a phase of warm water and cold water in the Pacific.