Tropical Storm Beryl has formed in the Atlantic Ocean and might strengthen into the year’s first hurricane before reaching the Caribbean Sea early next week. The Meteorological Service of Barbados has issued a hurricane watch for Barbados as of early Saturday morning.
Beryl is the second named storm in what is expected to be a busy hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 in the Atlantic. Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Alberto hit northeast Mexico with heavy rains, resulting in four deaths.
As of Friday, Beryl was moving westward, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm had top sustained winds of 40 mph. A tropical storm is defined by sustained winds between 39 mph and 73 mph, while winds above that threshold make it a hurricane.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts an above-average hurricane season for 2024, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast includes up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes. Typically, an average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.