JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Beryl strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Sunday morning, making it the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin. This storm is not an immediate threat to the First Coast.
While it is the earliest Cat. 4 on record, a hurricane this strong is not common even for the month of July. In fact, there have only been four other Category 4 hurricanes on record that have formed before August.
This is the strongest hurricane ever in the month of June in the Atlantic. It is also the first major hurricane in June since Alma in 1966.
Beryl is also the eastern-most June hurricane on record.
Beryl rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to major hurricane in just 42 hours.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, and Grenada. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Martinique and Tobago. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Dominica.
Beryl is moving quickly toward the west near 20 mph. The center of Beryl is expected to move across the Windward Islands late Sunday night and Monday.
Models currently take Beryl to the western Caribbean but beyond that, there is still plenty of uncertainty in the long-range forecast.
There are two other systems we’re watching in the Tropics. For more information, read our Talkin’ Tropics story.
