Beryl strengthens to first major hurricane of 2024; reaches Category 4

Author: Lauren Kreidler Nikki Sheaks Writer: Nicholas Karsen, Juliana Mejia, Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

The Weather Authority said Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the season, continues to grow and intensify.

In fact, as of the 2 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, Beryl has maximum sustained winds at 120 MPH, making it a major Category 4 hurricane and the strongest hurricane on record in June.

The tropical system is moving west at 21 MPH.

On the forecast track, the center of Beryl is expected to move across the Windward Islands early on Monday and across the southeastern Caribbean Sea on Monday night and Tuesday.

In under 24 hours, Beryl has gone from a 65 mph tropical storm to a 130 mph Category 4 hurricane.

A Category 4 storm has winds of 130 to 156 MPH.

“Conditions are favorable for further development because of abnormally warm water temperatures and low wind shear,” said The Weather Authority Meteorologist Nikki Sheaks.

The track shows Beryl trending towards Mexico and Central America, so not a direct concern for Southwest Florida.

A tropical wave centered several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands has become better organized.  

Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development next week while it moves generally westward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic at 15 to 20 mph.

There is a 70% chance of further development over the next seven days.

Not much has changed with the third area The Weather Authority meteorologists are watching. NHC reported a broad area of low pressure over the southern portion of the Bay of Campeche, where conditions appear generally conducive for further development.

A tropical depression could form before the system moves inland over Mexico on Monday. An Air Force reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system later Sunday.

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