Category 5 hurricane beryl menaces Jamaica, scientists warn of climate change impact
Hurricane Beryl surged towards Jamaica as a formidable Category 5 storm on Tuesday, following its devastating impact on smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean. Scientists attribute the storm’s rapid intensification to human-caused climate change.
The early-season hurricane brought down power lines with powerful winds and triggered flash floods, claiming at least two lives so far. Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season and the earliest on record to reach Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, inflicted severe damage on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
“The hurricane has passed, leaving immense destruction in its wake,” he remarked, noting that Union Island saw 90% of homes severely damaged or destroyed.
The prime minister confirmed one fatality and warned of possible additional deaths in the days ahead. In Carriacou Island, part of Grenada, another casualty occurred on Monday due to Beryl, which also caused widespread power outages across the island.
With maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (257 kph), Hurricane Beryl currently sits approximately 555 miles (893 km) east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, moving west-northwest at 22 mph (35 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
“Beryl is expected to maintain its strength as it crosses the Caribbean Sea later this week,” stated the NHC, issuing a hurricane warning for Jamaica where landfall is expected on Wednesday.
Preparations were underway in Jamaica, where residents secured fishing boats and belongings ahead of the storm. Despite the impending threat, some locals expressed a casual attitude, with Standford Pusey remarking, “We Jamaicans don’t take things seriously.”
The storm’s rapid intensification and early formation are attributed to warmer ocean temperatures, linked to climate change. Scientists emphasise that global warming has heightened North Atlantic temperatures to record levels, fostering conditions for more intense hurricanes with higher wind speeds.
Beryl’s unprecedented jump from Category 1 to Category 4 in less than 10 hours underscores this trend, marking the fastest intensification on record before September, as noted by meteorologist Andra Garner of Rowan University.
Video footage from Barbados captured the storm’s impact with waves battering the shoreline, toppling palm trees, flooding roads, and breaching walkways in Bridgetown. Beryl is also expected to approach Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, known for its tourist resorts, by Thursday night.