Beryl was located 125 miles (200 kilometers) east-southeast of Grenada early Monday. It had maximum sustained winds of 120 miles (195 kilometers) per hour and was moving west at 20 mph (31 kph). It was a compact storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 35 miles (55 kilometers) from its center.
Storm surges could reach 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels near where Beryl makes landfall with sizable and destructive waves along the coast. Expected rainfall totals are 3 to 6 inches across Barbados and the Windward Islands through Monday, which could cause flooding in vulnerable areas.
Beryl is the first hurricane of the season and one of the few storms in history to have formed in the region this early in the year, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane season historically peaks around mid-September, and this season could be the worst in decades, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. Government meteorologists predict 17 to 25 tropical storms this year, including four to seven that could become major hurricanes.
