Beryl bearing down on Jamaica as a potentially devastating major hurricane
Hurricane Beryl’s rampage through the Caribbean continues today as the still-Category 4 hurricane targets Jamaica with a direct strike, bringing a storm surge of up to 9 feet, devastating winds, destructive waves, and heavy rainfall from today into early Thursday.
Hurricane Beryl roars toward Jamaica after killing at least 6 people in the southeast Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl is roaring toward Jamaica as islanders scramble to make preparations after the powerful Category 4 storm earlier killed at least six people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean.
Beryl tops the scale as the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record
After striking the small island of Carriacou at the entrance of the eastern Caribbean as a 150 mph Category 4 hurricane on Monday, Beryl continued to intensify through the overnight hours, becoming a 165 mph Category 5 hurricane by early Tuesday.
Hurricane Beryl rips through open waters after devastating the southeast Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl is roaring across the Caribbean Sea as a monstrous Category 5 storm on a path that would take it near Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after making landfall in the southeast Caribbean and killing at least two people.
Unprecedented and potentially catastrophic Hurricane Beryl closes in on the eastern Caribbean
In a remarkable 24-hour period over the weekend, Beryl strengthened from a tropical storm to a 130 mph hurricane, and is now on the doorstep of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada in the easternmost Caribbean as a Category 4 hurricane.
Hurricane Beryl takes aim at southeastern Caribbean as a powerful Category 3 storm
Hurricane Beryl is bearing down on the southeast Caribbean as a powerful Category 3 storm after previously becoming the earliest storm of Category 4 strength to form in the Atlantic, fueled by record warm waters.
Biden administration extends temporary legal status to 300,000 Haitians, drawing a contrast to Trump
The Homeland Security Department says more than 300,000 Haitians already in the United States will be eligible for a major expansion of temporary legal status because conditions in the Caribbean nation are unsafe for return.
Tropical system coming together, forecast to impact eastern Caribbean early next week
The strong disturbance labeled Invest 95L churning westward through the eastern Atlantic continued to organize overnight and is expected to become a tropical depression or storm later today or on Saturday. The next name on the list is Beryl.
Disturbance poised to develop, approach Lesser Antilles early next week
A strong tropical disturbance over the eastern Atlantic – designated Invest 95L by the National Hurricane Center – is poised to organize into the first significant storm of the young hurricane season as it churns toward the easternmost Caribbean islands for early next week.
Tropical wave train picks up steam
In Tuesday’s newsletter we previewed a tropical wave – a strong disturbance emerging off the coast of Africa – that could make a run at development as it heads toward the Caribbean for next week. By late yesterday, NHC added the area to its outlook, indicating slow development in the days ahead.
A preview of things to come for July
July is typically a transition month between less organized, homebrewed tropical systems and the long-track, powerful hurricanes of August and September. It’s in July – typically by mid to late July – that we more closely monitor tropical waves, disturbances rolling off Africa every 3 to 5 days that largely go unnoticed in June.
Stormier days ahead for South Florida
It’s been a rather dry start to the rainy season for South Florida. Though it’s only been three weeks since the official start of the rainy season, over the past month a good portion of South Florida has only seen a quarter to a tenth or less of the rainfall we’d typically expect this time of year.
A plan to find new leadership for Haiti is moving forward, Caribbean officials say
Caribbean officials say a plan to create a transitional presidential council is moving forward after a majority of Haitian parties and coalitions submitted the names of those charged with finding new leaders for the country.
Barbuda residents win appeal to protect land from development in potential precedent for Caribbean
A top court has ruled that two residents of the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda have the right to challenge construction of an airstrip that critics say endangers fragile ecosystems and was begun without any permits.
Flooding rains spread over Central America as disturbance moves inland
The disturbance we’ve been tracking all week moving through the Caribbean – tagged Invest 97L – will be moving inland over Central America by Saturday, bringing with it flooding rains and the potential for dangerous mudslides this weekend from Nicaragua and Honduras northward to Guatemala and Belize.
Tropical mischief brewing this week in the Caribbean
On Friday, forecast models suggested the possibility of low pressure lifting northward out of the southwestern Caribbean for early this week. Instead, a new area of spin took shape to the north of the Caribbean islands – designated Invest 96L on Saturday – not quite gathering enough steam to become a tropical depression but staving off development farther south.
Tammy turns north, but will it head back south?
After skirting the Lesser Antilles of the eastern Caribbean over the weekend – passing over Barbuda as an 85 mph Category 1 hurricane late Saturday upon exiting the islands – Tammy continues to pull away to the north, maintaining its hurricane status over the western Atlantic.
Disturbance forecast to develop as it nears the eastern Caribbean islands later this week
The disturbance designated Invest 94L – an area of low pressure moving westward between Africa and the Caribbean – is in no hurry to organize, but over the coming days, a conducive environment is expected to promote development as it nears the Lesser Antilles by late week.
Philippe becoming extratropical, headed to Maine and Atlantic Canada as a potent storm system this weekend
Philippe, the erratic tropical storm that first formed 13 days ago and brought widespread flooding to the eastern Caribbean – from Dominica and Guadeloupe westward to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands – for the first half of this week is transitioning into a much larger extratropical storm system and setting a weekend collision course for Maine and Atlantic Canada
Major flooding ongoing across Dominica and Guadeloupe from Philippe
Philippe has been a persistent thorn in the side of hurricane forecasters. The storm, which formed 10 days ago midway between Africa and the Caribbean, ground to a halt late last week and took a southward dive east of the islands as it interacted with the circulation of nearby Tropical Storm Rina.
Where to look this October for tropical trouble
In October, we’re distracted by all the trappings of fall – football and the race for the pennant, pumpkin spice everything, and maybe that first real cold front to kick off dry season. Anything but hurricanes. But like baseball and politics, October is a month of surprises when it comes to hurricane season.
Hurricane Idalia on the move and strengthening; major hurricane hit expected tomorrow
After being held in limbo – meandering for days in the northwestern Caribbean – Idalia, now a strengthening hurricane, is making a beeline for Florida’s Big Bend, with devastating impacts forecast as it comes ashore as a major hurricane tomorrow.
Atlantic sees historic tropical cyclone outbreak, Hilary hits Southern California with devastating floods
As we discussed in our August 1st newsletter, myriad factors appeared to favor activity for the latter part of August. This weekend, the Atlantic delivered in spectacular fashion, with three tropical cyclones forming – Tropical Depression Six (now Gert), Tropical Storm Emily, and Tropical Storm Franklin – in only 24 hours, only the third time that’s occurred since records began in 1851.
Crowded Atlantic as powerful Hurricane Hilary opens a tropical tap over Southern California
Hurricane Hilary blossomed overnight into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the eastern Pacific and beginning this weekend will aim a tropical firehose at some of the driest places in the U.S., creating the potential for life-threatening flash flooding from Southern California to western Arizona, Nevada, and southwestern Utah.
Mexico shutters 23 pharmacies at Caribbean coast resorts after US warned of dangerous pill sales
Mexico has closed 23 pharmacies at Caribbean coast resorts, six months after a research report warned that drug stores in Mexico were offering foreigners pills they passed off as Oxycodone, Percocet, and Adderall.
August lull in Atlantic activity continues
The last named storm to make an appearance in the Atlantic was Don – the only hurricane so far of 2023 – which burned its last ember during the early morning hours of July 24th. The 15 days since the last named storm is a little longer than usual for the time of year, but not exceptionally so.
Blinken says a multinational force is needed to help Haiti's National Police restore order
U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken says a multinational force is needed to help Haiti’s National Police as he echoed recent appeals made by United Nations officials who warn that the country’s insecurity is worsening.
Bret to impact the Lesser Antilles today, Tropical Depression Four forms
Tropical Storm Bret continued its westward plod overnight toward the eastern Caribbean and is expected to move near or over the east-central Caribbean islands – including Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique and Dominica – starting later today.
Tracking several early season tropical waves
In Monday’s newsletter, we highlighted favored areas of tropical development in June, including the western Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and western Atlantic. Today we turn our attention to the disturbances that originate over Africa – known as tropical waves – that often serve as seedlings for many of our strongest hurricanes later in the hurricane season.
US vice president announces more than $100M to help Caribbean during official visit to Bahamas
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that the U.S. is investing more than $100 million in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.