Beryl, the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed on Friday as the storm moved towards the Caribbean.
Beryl was expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it approached the Windward Islands in the West Indies, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest warning late Friday evening.
Beryl was centered about 1,110 miles southeast of Barbados, the hurricane center said, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and tropical storm force winds extending up to 45 miles from the center. It was moving west at 18 mph.
The system was expected to reach the Windward Islands late Sunday or Monday, and was forecast to bring between 3 and 6 inches of rain to the Windward Islands and Barbados. There were no watches or warnings in effect yet.
NOAA
Tropical storm Alberto last week brought severe flooding in parts of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. According to the Associated Press, it was responsible for at least four deaths in the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Veracruz.
The Atlantic hurricane season started on June 1 and lasts until November 30. According to the hurricane center, the first hurricane of the season usually forms in early to mid-August, which would make Beryl unusual if it reached hurricane strength. In a report The NOAA, which released last month, predicted an “above average” hurricane season with 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes and 4 to 7 major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
A tropical storm is a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained wind speeds of 60 to 120 km per hour, while a hurricane is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of over 75 mph (120 km/h).
