Miami, FL – As Tropical Storm Beryl continues to gain strength, meteorologists predict it will escalate into the first hurricane of the season by Sunday night or Monday as it moves closer to the Caribbean region. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a warning of potential hazards associated with Beryl, projecting it to reach at least Category 3 hurricane status, accompanied by destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and life-threatening storm surge.

Several Caribbean islands are currently on hurricane watch in anticipation of Beryl’s intensification. The NHC anticipates the storm transforming into a hurricane before reaching the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, located within the Caribbean Sea. Experts had earlier foreseen an active hurricane season, and Beryl’s early formation in the region marks a unique occurrence, according to the NHC.

With Beryl expected to build up rapidly, the NHC reported the storm was approximately 820 miles east-southeast of Barbados, boasting maximum winds of 65 mph on Saturday. The NHC remarked on Beryl’s steady strengthening trend since its formation, noting its more symmetrical and compact structure, which could pave the way for rapid intensification in the coming days.

As the storm tracks its path, hurricane and tropical storm watches have been issued for various islands in the Caribbean. Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands are currently under hurricane watch, while Martinique, Tobago, and Dominica are placed under tropical storm watch. Precipitation forecasts indicate 3 to 6 inches of rainfall in Barbados and the Windward Islands, with the likelihood of hurricane conditions developing by late Sunday or early Monday in the impacted areas, as stated by the NHC.

Keep an eye on further updates and advisories as Beryl progresses through the region.

Matthew Cappucci also contributed to this report.