First Atlantic hurricane of season arrives early in Caribbean, intensifies quickly

The first hurricane of the Atlantic season, named Beryl, arrived early and quickly intensified into a "very dangerous" Category 4 hurricane that threatens the Caribbean.

It has sustained winds of about 130 mph more than doubling in a day when it was still categorized as a tropical storm, according to The Daily Wire. It is expected to continue to gain strength as it moves west across the eastern Caribbean, with a potential for "rapid intensification." 

According to Eddie Walker, AccuWeather’s Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist, “Steering breezes will guide the system to cross the Windward Islands of the eastern Caribbean from Sunday night to Monday, then waters near Jamaica during the middle of next week and perhaps to the shores of Central America or southeastern Mexico at the end of next week.”

The first hurricane in the Atlantic basin doesn’t normally arrive until around Aug. 11, on average, according to Fox Weather. They say it is likely due, at least in part, to unseasonably high ocean temperatures.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an above average hurricane season in 2024, with 8 to 13 hurricanes, including 4 to 7 being classified as “major.”