Beryl formed into the first hurricane of the season on Saturday, and the storm is forecast to intensify quickly, the National Weather Service said.
Hurricane Beryl is "expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to the Windward Islands as a major hurricane," NWS said.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the island of Barbados.
Forecasters warned Beryl was expected to strengthen into a dangerous major hurricane before reaching Barbados late Sunday.
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A major hurricane is considered a Category 3 or higher, with winds of at least 111 mph (178 kph).
“It’s astonishing to see a forecast for a major (Category 3+) hurricane in June anywhere in the Atlantic, let alone this far east in the deep tropics. #Beryl organizing in a hurry over the warmest waters ever recorded for late June,” Florida-based hurricane expert Michael Lowry posted on X.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the 2024 hurricane season is likely to be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast calls for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
Beryl is expected to drop up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rain in Barbados and nearby islands, and a high surf warning of waves up to 13 feet (4 meters) was in effect. A storm surge of up to seven feet (2 meters) is also forecast.
The storm is approaching the southeast Caribbean just days after the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago reported major flooding in the capital, Port-of-Spain, as a result of an unrelated weather event.
Meanwhile, a no-name storm earlier this June dumped more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain on parts of South Florida, stranding numerous motorists on flooded streets and pushing water into some homes in low-lying areas.
