A deadly hurricane which has been tearing through the southeast Caribbean is moving towards Jamaica.
At least seven people have been killed by Hurricane Beryl in Grenada, Venezuela and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Hurricane Beryl became the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic on July 1st, before weakening to a still-destructive Category 4.
It peaked at winds of 165 mph and is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surges to Jamaica on July 3.
US National Hurricane Center director says storm has “potential for devastating to catastrophic wind damage” as it passes over Jamaica.
So far, the storm has destroyed large parts of two small islands in Grenada, damaging 98% of the buildings there. Officials called the impact “unimaginable”
At least seven people have been already killed in the path of the storm, including in Grenada, as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Beryl is now heading towards Jamaica, where evacuation orders have been issued. Officials estimate the storm is about 45 miles away from Kingston as of July 3. Devastating hurricane force winds of up to 155mph are expected, with life-threatening storm surges as high as 9ft.
The hurricane is then expected to reach the Cayman Islands, before reaching the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico later in the week.
Hurricane Beryl is putting the role of climate change under the spotlight.
With maximum sustained wind speeds of more than 160mph, it became the earliest category five Atlantic hurricane in records going back around 100 years.
In fact, there has only been one previous recorded case of a category five Atlantic hurricane in July – Hurricane Emily, on July 16, 2005.
The causes of individual storms are complex, making it difficult to fully attribute specific cases to climate change.
But exceptionally high sea surface temperatures are seen as a key reason why Hurricane Beryl has been so powerful.
Usually, such strong storms only develop later in the season, after the seas have heated up through the summer.
Jamaica’s met office has issued a warning of “dangerously high water” and “exceptionally high waves” as Hurricane Beryl moves close to the Caribbean island’s southern coastline.
The eye of the storm is expected to move adjacent to the southern coastline of Jamaica, the service says in an update a post on social media.
