Record-breaking hurricane Beryl slams Windward Islands

An image being shared on social media of significant damage on Grenada's Carriacou Island after the passage of Hurricane Beryl on Monday, July 1.

The Atlantic hurricane season is unfortunately off to the intense start many forecasters had feared. The first named hurricane of the season, Beryl, grew into a Category 4 monster today before racing across Grenada's Carriacou Island at around 11am EDT Monday morning. The storm maintained 150mph (240km/h) winds at landfall, making it the strongest hurricane since Ivan in 2004 to impact this region. NOAA Hurricane Hunters flying into the storm, reported a minimum barometric pressure of  946mb at 5pm Monday, with Beryl maintaining 150 mph winds. According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl is the strongest June hurricane in the record books, as well as the earliest category 4 storm dating back to 1851.

Why is Beryl strong? Very simple, the Atlantic basin is currently as warm as it normally is in September at peak season for hurricanes. Hurricanes do not know what time of the year it is, but they do know warm waters. Basically, Beryl is acting like a September storm. This is just the start, with forecasters predicting a very active, intense season.

An enhanced NOAA satellite image of Hurricane Beryl making landfall on Carriacou Island at 11am EDT Monday, July 1st.

Reports from Grenada and the surrounding island are of widespread power outages and flooding. Initial reports from Carriacou Island are of significant damage and flooding. Social media mages form the island show numerous buildings without roofs as well as large boats submerged in the harbour.

Maurice Bishop International Airport in St. Georges, Grenada, reported winds early Monday afternoon of 92 mph, gusting to 121mph (148G194 km/h)

Beryl is now racing away from the Windward Islands at 21 mph (33km/h) towards the northwest. The storm is expected to remain a major hurricane through midweek while moving south of Haiti and Cuba and approaching Jamaica. Afterwards, wind shear is expected to increase in the vicinity of the hurricane, causing a gradual weakening as Beryl approaches the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.