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Hurricane Beryl forms in the Atlantic
Hurricane Beryl has officially become the first named hurricane of the season with 75 mph as it moves through the Atlantic.
null - Hurricane Beryl formed in the Atlantic Saturday, becoming the second named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the Windward islands either late Sunday night or early Monday bringing destructive hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge, the NHC said.
The latest track shows Hurricane Beryl intensifying into a category two hurricane by Sunday at 2 p.m. before becoming a category storm early Monday.
Tracking Hurricane Beryl: Latest Forecast track
As of 5 p.m. Hurricane Beryl is located about 720 miles east-southeast of Barbados and is moving at about 22 mph with maximum wind gusts of 75 mph. A hurricane warning is now in effect for Barbados, while a hurricane watch is in effect for St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, and Grenada.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Martinique, Dominica, and Tobago.
The NHC is expecting Hurricane Beryl to make a relatively quick westward to west-northwestward motion over the next couple of days and the center of Beryl moves across the Windward Islands late Sunday night or Monday.
Hurricane Beryl impacts
"Life-threatening storm surge is expected to raise water levels as much as five to seven feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore flow near where Beryl makes landfall in the hurricane watch and warning areas," said the NHC.
Beryl is also expected to produce three to six inches of rain across Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday night into Monday.
Hurricane Beryl has made history as the farthest-east hurricane that has ever formed in the month of June, FOX 35 Storm Team Meterologist Noah Bergren said. "The storm is also forecast to be the third major hurricane ever to strike Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent.
Hurricane Beryl spaghetti model
2024 Atlantic hurricane storm names and pronunciations
Pronunciation Guide:
- Alberto al-BAIR toe
- Beryl BEHR-ril
- Chris kris
- Debby DEH-bee
- Ernesto er-NES-toh
- Francine fran-SEEN
- Gordon GOR-duhn
- Helene heh-LEEN
- Isaac EYE-zik
- Joyce joyss
- Kirk kurk Leslie
- LEHZ-lee
- Milton MIL-ton
- Nadine nay-DEEN
- Oscar AHS-kur
- Patty PAT-ee
- Rafael rah-fah-ELL
- Sara SAIR-uh
- Tony TOH-nee
- Valerie VAH-lur-ee
- William WILL-yum
2024 hurricane predictions: Active season
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration anticipates between 17 and 25 named storms will form this season, with 8 to 13 becoming hurricanes with winds of at least 74 mph. Out of those 8 to 13, 4 to 7 could become major hurricanes with winds of at least 115 mph. This is the greatest number of hurricanes predicted by NOAA in its annual May forecast, surpassing the forecast of 14–23 storms in 2010.
In all, NOAA gives an 85% chance of an above-average season.
The outlook is fairly similar to Colorado State University’s, which also issued its busiest outlook ever, with the potential for upwards of 23 named storms.
"The Atlantic is still record warm in the tropical Atlantic, providing more fuel for storms," Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist at CSU, told FOX Weather before its outlook release.
NOAA 2024 Hurricane Outlook