Hurricane Beryl Moving Westward Over Tropical Atlantic
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Tiny Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2018 Hurricane Season, is now forecast to be at hurricane strength when it approaches the Lesser Antilles.
At 11 p.m., the center of the storm was about 890 miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles. Beryl was moving to the west at 14 mph with maximum sustain winds of 80 mph. Beryl is a very compact hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles.
People in Puerto Rico are taking no chances with Beryl.
Long lines have formed for hurricane supplies and food on the island.
The island's governor is worried about blackouts, because of the extremely weak electrical grid after Hurricane Maria.
A faster west-northwestward motion is expected through the weekend. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will approach the Lesser Antilles over the weekend and cross the island chain late Sunday or Monday. Interests in the Lesser Antilles should monitor its progress.
Additional strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Beryl is expected to still be a hurricane when it reaches the Lesser Antilles late Sunday or Monday. Weakening is expected once Beryl reaches the eastern Caribbean Sea on Monday, but the system may not degenerate into an open trough until it reaches the vicinity of Hispaniola and the central Caribbean Sea.
As of Friday night, there was Hurricane Watch in effect for Dominica. A Tropical Storm Watch had been issued for Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy.
