The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor two hurricane systems in the Atlantic: Hurricane Beryl and Invest 96L.
Beryl, which first made landfall around 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 1, on Carriacou Island, Grenada, with winds of 150 mph, is expected to pass over or near Jamaica today. After strengthening to a Category 5 hurricane on Monday with winds of 165 mph, Beryl is now a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph.
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The hurricane is expected to bring devastating hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surges and devastating waves to parts of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands early Thursday morning.
Elsewhere in the tropics, meteorologists continue to monitor Invest 96L, which approached the Windward Islands on Wednesday morning. The chances of development are slim over the next seven days.
There are also two tropical waves that meteorologists are monitoring: one in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, west of Cape Verde, and one in the western Caribbean.
The next storm of the season will be Debby.
Here is the latest update from the NHC as of 5:00 AM on July 3:
Hurricane Beryl heads towards Jamaica as Category 4 storm
➤ Hurricane Beryl Path
Could Hurricane Beryl hit Florida and the US Gulf Coast?
Where Beryl will go once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico, and how strong it will be there, is still uncertain.
AccuWeather meteorologists have cleared the U.S. Atlantic coast and the Florida peninsula for direct impacts from Beryl, AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. Parts of the Gulf Coast, however, are not.
“From Panama City to New Orleans, the risk of direct impacts from Beryl is low, but from Corpus Christi to Brownsville, Texas, the risk increases significantly due to the potential for more direct impacts from Beryl,” Porter said.
“The southern part of the Texas coast is the area we really need to pay attention to.”
Invest 96L near the Windward Islands with a low chance of development
Invest 96L: Shower and thunderstorm activity remains unorganized, associated with a tropical wave located a few hundred kilometers east of the Windward Islands.
➤ Track 96L: Spaghetti models for Invest 96L
Development of this system, if any, is likely to be slow as it moves westward across the western tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea at 20 to 25 mph (32 to 40 km/h).
Regardless of developments, gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall are still possible in parts of the Lesser Antilles today.
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Chance of formation after 48 hours: low, 10 percent.
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Chance of formation after 7 days: low, 20 percent.
Who is likely to be affected?
Hurricane Beryl: Devastating hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surges and destructive waves are expected across parts of Jamaica beginning this afternoon and the Cayman Islands early Thursday morning. Life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides from heavy rainfall are expected across much of Jamaica and southern Haiti through today.
Invest 96L: It is too early to say whether this system will have implications for the US.
Forecasters are urging all residents to continue monitoring the tropics and to always be prepared. The advice is especially important for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.
Weather Alerts and Warnings Issued in Florida
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
According to the Hurricane Center, peak season is September 10, with the most activity between mid-August and mid-October.
Map from the National Hurricane Center: What are meteorologists looking at now?
The systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include:
Interactive Map: Hurricanes, Tropical Storms That Have Passed Near Your City
Heavy rain is expected
What’s next?
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: NHC tracks Hurricane Beryl, Invest96L and 2 tropical waves. Forecast Path
