Flights Cancelled as Hurricane Beryl Slams Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl has made landfall on Carriacou Island in Grenada. The hurricane, which has regained strength in recent hours, has prompted warnings of life-threatening winds and dangerous storm surges.

Hurricane warnings are also in effect for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago. Airports and businesses across the Caribbean have shut down, and residents have been urged to seek shelter as the potentially devastating storm hits the region. Dozens of flights were cancelled as Beryl approached on Sunday night, with leaders urging the public to heed warnings.

Beryl’s strength has been fluctuating. The hurricane was upgraded to a Category 4 on Monday after slightly weakening earlier.

Meteorologists say it is unusual for a hurricane of this strength to form this early in the year.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that the North Atlantic could experience up to seven major hurricanes this year, up from the average of three in a season. It attributed record high sea surface temperatures as a contributing factor.