ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hurricane Beryl has strengthened into a Category 5 storm after making landfall as a Category 4 on Carriacou Island on Monday.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm remains "potentially catastrophic" as it moves toward land.
As of the latest advisory, NHC forecasters say, "Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica on Wednesday."
It's the first named hurricane of the season and the earliest a Category 4 storm has ever formed in the Atlantic. The previous record for the earliest Category 4 hurricane was Hurricane Dennis on July 8, 2005.
Hurricane Beryl is about 300 miles east-southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic, and about 625 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, according to the latest advisory.
Forecasters say the hurricane is moving at 22 mph with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica. A hurricane watch is in effect for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
There is currently a tropical storm warning in effect for:
- The south coast of the Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward to the border with Haiti
- The south coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Anse d'Hainault
Storm surges could raise water levels by as much as 3-5 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the coast of Jamaica.
Storm surges could also raise water levels by as much as 1-3 feet above ground level along with southern coast of Hispaniola.
Beryl may bring 2-6 inches of rain to portions of Hispaniola on Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the NHC.
The hurricane is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4-8 inches in portions of Jamaica on Wednesday. The rainfall may cause flash flooding in vulnerable areas, forecasters said.
Elsewhere in the tropics, Tropical Depression Chris formed Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm before making landfall Monday morning over eastern Mexico. Since making landfall, Chris has weakened and dissipated. In the central Atlantic, forecasters are keeping an eye on Invest 96-L. It has a 20% chance of formation in the next two days and 30% in the next week.
The first named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Alberto was named on June 19 when it was close to making landfall over Mexico in the Gulf. It was a relatively short-lived system that quickly weakened to a depression once it made landfall and then dissipated over land.