Hurricane Beryl nears Caribbean, strengthens to Category 4
June 30, 2024
The Atlantic hurricane season kicks off with Beryl, which has strengthened to a "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm as it moves closer to the southeastern Caribbean.
Hurricane Beryl — the swirl of cloud low in the frame and just to the right of center in this image — is expected to gather strength over the Atlantic Ocean and continue towards the southeastern CaribbeanImage: ASSOCIATED PRESS/picture alliance
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The first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, Beryl, has become a Category 4 storm, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday.
"Reconaissance aircraft find Beryl now an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane," it said, warning that life-threatening winds and storm surge expected in the Windward Islands, a group of islands that includes Martinique, Saint Lucia and Grenada, early on Monday.
According to the NHC, the hurricane is located about 565 kilometers east-southeast of Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour. Earlier on Sunday, Beryl was already upgraded to Category 3.
A Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale is considered a major hurricane, and a Category 4 storm has sustained winds of at least 209 kilometers or 130 miles per hour.
Caribbean bracing for hurricane's approach
Countries in the region began shutting down on Sunday as government officials urged people to take shelter.
In the Barbadian capital of Bridgetown, cars were lined up at gas stations. Supermarkets and grocery stores were crowded with shoppers buying food, water and other supplies. Some households were already boarding up their homes.
Hurricane watches were issued for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago, while tropical storm watches or warnings were in effect for Martinique and Dominica, the NHC said in its latest advisory.
According to Sabu Best, director of Barbados' meteorological service, Beryl's center is expected to pass about 112 kilometers south of Barbados on Monday morning.
It was then expected to move out into the Caribbean as a major hurricane on a path toward Jamaica. It should weaken by mid-week, but still be a hurricane on its way to Mexico.
US faces harsh summer tornado, hurricane season
02:09
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What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a storm system rotating around an area of low pressure that produces strong winds and heavy rain. The storm is classified as a hurricane when the sustained wind speeds exceed 119 kilometers per hour.
Hurricane season begins on May 15 in the Pacific and June 1 in the Atlantic. It ends in both regions on November 30th.
Hurricanes often gain strength as they move over the ocean. Over land, they quickly lose strength because of the lack of warm, moist air masses.
Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes - the power of devastation
Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes pack a devastating punch: wherever they go, they leave a trail of destruction. But how do these powerful tropical storms arise?
Image: AFP/D. Sarkar
Social distancing impossible during Cyclone Amphan
Residents along Bangladesh's coast are being moved to safety as one of the strongest cyclones in years strikes the region. Millions of people had to be evacuated from low-lying regions along the Bay of Bengal on May 19. But plans are complicated by the coronavirus precautions. Maintaining social distancing is nearly impossible.
Image: AFP/District Administration of Bhola
Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic
On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.
Image: AFP/A. Beronio
Three names - one phenomenon
Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.
Image: Reuters
A cyclone is created
Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.
The eye of the storm
The Earth's rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A storm hits land
When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, "Marcia" was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while "Lam" weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage - as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Chaos ensues
Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.
Image: Reuters
Destructive vortex
Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.
Fastest storms
As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous - up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.
Image: Fotolia/Daniel Loretto
Trail of destruction
A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It's different in other countries - in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.
