Beryl Becomes a "Potentially Catastrophic" Category 5 Hurricane

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned late Monday that Hurricane Beryl's intensity has increased as it moves through the Caribbean, making it a "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 hurricane. The center stated in an advisory at 11:00 PM (03:00 GMT Tuesday) that "Beryl has now become a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane," noting that "fluctuations in intensity are possible, but Beryl is expected to remain close to a powerful hurricane as it progresses through the Caribbean toward Jamaica." The center explained that Beryl is moving with maximum winds of 160 miles (260 kilometers) per hour. Thus, Beryl becomes the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic hurricane season on record. According to the center, Carriacou Island in Grenada was directly hit by the "dangerous eyewall" of the hurricane, with sustained winds exceeding 150 miles per hour. Nearby islands, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, experienced "catastrophic winds and life-threatening storms," according to the National Hurricane Center.