Hurricane Beryl breaks records as it wreaks havoc through Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl has been declared the strongest-ever tropical cyclone in June and July, breaking the latest in a series of records as it causes widespread destruction in the Caribbean.

The tropical cyclone has set numerous records that experts say are tied to climate change, as it developed faster and much earlier in the year than similar phenomena. It is the strongest hurricane on record for both June and July, and saw the most rapid intensification of any hurricane before Sept. 1 — typically the more intense period of the Atlantic season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

On Monday, Beryl was declared a Category 5 hurricane — the highest rating on the SAFFIR-SIMPSON Hurricane Scale, declared when winds top 155 miles per hour.

Scientists have for years warned that global warming will cause hurricanes to intensify more rapidly due to warmer waters, giving people less time to brace for their impact.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) previously forecast an 85% chance of an “above-normal” 2024 hurricane season in the Atlantic. It forecast that between 17 and 25 named storms will be observed during the period, versus an average of 14, along with eight to 13 hurricanes, above a typical average of seven. Four to seven of these are projected as likely to develop into major hurricanes, compared with an average of three.

That is in part due to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, a long-observed climate pattern which generally strengthens hurricane activity in either the Pacific or the Atlantic due to water temperatures. A La Niña phase, marked by factors including cooler ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific, is seen developing between July and September.

Beyond that, ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Basin are currently at record-warm levels and were closer in May to the usual level of late August, according to the NOAA.

Jamaica on Wednesday announced an island-wide curfew as Beryl moved toward its shores.

At least six people have been killed to date, as the hurricane continues to wage destruction. Three people reportedly died in Grenada and Carriacou, with another person killed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and two casualties in northern Venezuela, AP reported.

“I am now declaring the whole of Jamaica to be a disaster area, in accordance with section 26 of the Disaster Risk Management Act, for the next seven days,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a video address in the early hours, declaring an island-wide curfew between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday. He added that the hurricane, which is expected to bring life-threatening winds, a storm surge and possible floods, highlights the impact of climate change.

“While our carbon…