Hurricane Beryl, the most dangerous hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, has strengthened into a category-five storm after hitting the Windward Islands in the Caribbean.
Powerful Hurricane Beryl is headed towards Jamaica, a country in the southeastern Caribbean region. It could hit there by Wednesday.
One death has already been reported due to this storm.
Beryl struck Grenada's Carriacou island in the Caribbean Sea around 11 a.m. local time on Monday (July 1) with winds of 150 miles per hour. Although it hit as a category four cyclone, it has now become a category five.
It is still strengthening, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Tuesday. Beryl can flow at a maximum speed of 165 miles per hour.
Deacon Mitchell, Grenada's prime minister, told a news briefing on Monday that extensive devastation had been reported in Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Beryl mixed the Cariaco with the soil in an hour and a half. No casualties have been reported yet.
Meanwhile, at least one death has been reported in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Hundreds of homes and buildings were damaged, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said.
Earlier, due to the powerful Hurricane Beryl, the airports and business establishments of the Caribbean countries were closed. Residents have been asked to take shelter safely. Dozens of flights to the Caribbean were canceled Sunday night. Apart from this, the residents of this region are warned about the storm conditions.
Experts say it is highly unusual for such a powerful storm to form so early in the Atlantic hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from early June to late November.
But the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in late May that this year could be an exceptional hurricane season, with seven Category-3 or higher storms.
The agency cited the La Niña effect in the Pacific Ocean for this.
It should be noted that extreme weather events including hurricanes are occurring more frequently as a result of climate change in recent years and these are becoming more destructive.
Publisher : Mustakim Nibir
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