Hurricane Beryl approaches the Caribbean

A “life threatening” Hurricane Beryl approached the Caribbean early Monday with winds reaching 120 mph, prompting islanders to brace for its impact.

The storm, downgraded from Category 4 by the National Hurricane Center, was expected to move across the Windward Islands and then sweep through the southeastern and central Caribbean until Wednesday.

Beryl, the second named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, broke records by strengthening from a tropical depression to a Category 3 hurricane in less than 48 hours.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with storm alerts for Martinique, Dominica and Trinidad. Experts predict it may cause six to nine feet of storm surge and heavy rainfall up to six inches.

Beryl is not expected to be a threat to the US. But forecasters and analysts are worried as it provides a peek into this year’s hurricane season, which is expected to deliver some of the strongest storms in the last few decades.