Beryl Hits Jamaica

Hurricane Beryl is expected to make landfall in Jamaica today as a Category 3 storm before continuing west toward the Cayman Islands tomorrow. The now-weakened system became the earliest ever Atlantic hurricane to intensify to Category 5 wind speeds late Monday, beating the next earliest by two weeks. Trackers indicate the storm will continue to weaken as it reaches areas around the Gulf of Mexico. Track the storm here, and watch a satellite time-lapse here (via X).  

Beryl, the second named storm of the season, reached the eastern Caribbean early Monday, battering Grenada and several other Windward Islands (see map) and knocking out power across the region. At least seven people have reportedly died across the Caribbean and in northern Venezuela. 

The system intensified rapidly over the weekend amid warmer-than-average surface ocean temperatures—levels typically seen later in the season. Learn why ocean temperatures impact hurricane strength here.