Dominica: PM Skerrit meets emergency officials as Beryl strengthens into Cat 3 Hurricane

As Dominica braces for possible effects from Hurricane Beryl, Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit and National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore met with the officials of the National Emergency Planning Organization.

The meeting was held to assess the country’s readiness as well as to make final preparations to protect the country from the adverse effects of the category 3 hurricane.

According to Dominica Meteorological Office, the Category 3 Hurricane Beryl is forecasted to produce 2 to 4 inches in Dominica because of orographic enhancement. It added that the isolated higher amounts in elevated regions are possible on Monday.

As of 8 am on Sunday, the centre of the hurricane was located about 10.6N 53.9W or about 602mi southeast of Dominica.

Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center is saying that Beryl is expected to be an extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane when it reaches the Windward Islands early Monday, bringing some destructive hurricane-force winds as well as life threatening storm surge. Experts are saying that Beryl went from a tropical storm to a major, category 3 hurricane in 24 hours. This is the first major hurricane to form east of the Lesser Antilles in the month of June.

He will bring devastating impacts to the Windward Islands late tonight and on Monday. Hurricane Beryl will track into the Caribbean next week and we have plenty of time to track its every move.

It is still way too early to know if this will be a viable threat to the Central Gulf of Mexico. Much of its track will depend on the position of the heat dome, its interaction with any landmasses within the Caribbean islands, and its forward speed, they further added.

The hurricane is presently moving toward Barbados and the Windward Islands. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, Saint Lucia and Grenada. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Martinique, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica.