Hurricane Beryl Updates: Caribbean preps for first hurricane of season

Hurricane Beryl is official after the storm reached 75 mph Saturday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The Category 1 storm is approaching Barbados and is expected to bring life-threatening storm surges and dangerous rip currents in the Atlantic. The government of Barbados has issued a hurricane warning for the island.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada and a tropical storm watch is in effect for Martinique, Dominica and Tobago. Other advisories are expected as Hurricane Beryl moves further into the Caribbean.

Beryl may bring 1 to 4 inches of rain to southeastern Puerto Rico on Monday night and into Tuesday.

Its peak winds are expected to reach 115 mph by Monday morning and 120 mph by Monday evening.

Hurricane Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 season. Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, left at least four people dead in Mexico after it made landfall on June 20.

Life-threating storm surge, flooding likely

Hurricane Beryl is expected to create life-threatening oceanic activity in the Caribbean on Sunday and into Monday. The National Hurricane Center said Saturday the storm surge is expected to reach 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels and bring "large, destructive waves" to the coast. The storm will likely also bring dangerous rip current conditions.

Inland, rainfall could cause flooding and is expected to dump 3 to 6 inches in Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday night into Monday.