Hurricane Beryl is breaking records as it wreaks havoc in the southeastern Caribbean.
On Sunday, Beryl became the first Category 4 storm ever to form in the Atlantic Ocean in the month of June. No storm has reached Category 4 intensity so early in the hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The previous record was held by Hurricane Dennis, which slammed into Cuba as a Category 4 storm on July 8, 2005.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall Monday on Carriacou Island, and it is expected to bring heavy rain and life-threatening winds and storm surge to the Windward Islands, including Grenada, St. Vincent and Martinique, before continuing west in the coming days.
In a news briefing, Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell said Hurricane Beryl flattened Carriacou in half an hour, but so far there have been no reports of confirmed injuries or deaths.
This year’s hurricane season is expected to be exceptionally busy, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency’s May outlook predicted eight to 13 hurricanes in what forecasters said would likely be an “extraordinary” season.