ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hurricane Beryl is now a Category 4 storm with forecasters saying it is "extremely dangerous."
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.
"Forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to the Windward Islands as an extremely dangerous hurricane," NHC forecasters said in its latest advisory.
Hurricane Beryl is about 250 miles east-southeast of Barbados, and it is moving west at 18 mph with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, according to the latest advisory.
There is currently a hurricane warning in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Martinique.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for the following areas, according to NHC:
- Dominica
- Trinidad
- South coast of Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward
to the border with Haiti - South coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican
Republic to Anse d'Hainault
Life-threatening storm surges could raise water levels by as much as 6-9 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore flow near where Beryl makes landfall in the hurricane watch and warning areas. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area early Monday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch areas Sunday night into Monday morning. Devastating wind damage is expected when the eyewall of Beryl moves through portions of the Windward Islands.
The hurricane is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches across Barbados and the Windward Islands Sunday night into Monday.
Just about a month into the official start of hurricane season, one system has developed enough to be named a 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.