STORY: The U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Sunday that Hurricane Beryl had become a very dangerous Category 3 storm, as it neared the Caribbean, the first major hurricane of the 2024 season.
New projection maps showed the hurricane barreling toward Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
The forecaster said Beryl is expected to hit the Windward islands late Sunday night, bringing life-threatening winds and storm surge that could raise water levels by up to 9 feet above normal.
Hurricane warnings have been issued in Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent as well as the Grenadine Islands, Grenada and Tobago.
It's rare for a major hurricane to appear as early in the year as June.
Last month, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted "above-normal hurricane activity" this year, in part due to near-record warm ocean temperatures.
Beryl was forecast to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane by Monday, with winds that can cause "catastrophic damage."
The National Hurricane Center said if it does become a Category 4 storm as expected, it would be the earliest such hurricane on record.
