When Hurricane Beryl hit the Grenadine Islands on July 1, its 150-mph winds and awesome storm surge made it the earliest category 5 storm (the most destructive grade on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale) the tropical Atlantic has seen.
An active hurricane season in 2024 was forecast well in advance. However, the speed at which Beryl intensified, jumping from tropical-storm strength with winds averaging 70mph to major-hurricane status with 130mph winds in just 24 hours, astounded scientists.
