Hurricane Warning in effect for Jamaica as Beryl becomes dangerous Cat 5 Hurricane

The Meteorological Service has announced that a hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica as Beryl has intensified into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph while moving on a track towards the island.

The JMS reported that this means that the island could face the severe impacts of a hurricane in 36 hours or less. This includes the water being in highly dangerous conditions combined with high waves.

According to the information, as of 10 pm on Monday, the eye of Hurricane Beryl was reported to be located near latitude 13.8 degrees North and longitude 64.9 degrees West. This means that it is around 510 miles east southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic, and 840 miles from Jamaica.

In addition to this, the hurricane is moving towards the west-northwest near 35 km per hour and is anticipated to continue moving rapidly west-northwestward during the next few days.

The forecast track is showing that the centre of Beryl will be moving quickly across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea tonight through Tuesday and is forecasted to pass near Jamaica early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the maximum sustained winds have increased to nearly 260 km per hour with higher gusts. Beryl is now a potentially catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane.

As the hurricane is expected to bring major devastation to Jamaica, the Government has urged the small craft operators, including fishers from the banks and cays, to complete all the necessary safety precautions. It also advised them to remain in a safe harbor until all warning messages have been lifted and sea conditions have returned to normal.

The Met Office assured the public that it would continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Beryl and encouraged everyone to pay special attention to further releases related to weather warnings.

While the hurricane is expected to weaken by the end of this week, but its final destination is yet not clear to the weather experts.