THE Cyclone Berylwhich today is severely affecting the South-Eastern Antilles, caused significant damage and the death of at least 4 peoplebut is expected to weaken by the time it reaches off Jamaica tomorrow, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Around 23:00 local time yesterday (06:00 Greek time today), the NHC upgraded Beryl to a category 5, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which is used to describe the intensity of storms. This equates to winds in excess of 252 km/h, with consequences “potentially catastrophic”.

Today, at 09.00 Greek time, in the first report of the day, the US National Hurricane Center clarified that the winds strengthened to almost 270 km/h. He now predicts, according to the 12.00 Greek time bulletin, that Beryl will “weaken” later today, but the risk remains.

“The eye of Beryl will continue to move rapidly into the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea today (Tuesday) and is expected to pass close to Jamaica tomorrow and the Cayman Islands on Thursday.” the NHC clarified. “It is expected to approach the intensity of a major cyclone,” he added.

Before being upgraded to Category 5, the eye of the cyclone yesterday devastated Kariakou, an island in Grenada famous for its beauty.

Two people were killed there and another on the neighboring island of Grenada, the small archipelago’s largest, Prime Minister Deacon Mitchell told reporters.

Cyclone

The wind speed reached up to 240 kilometers per hour in Kariakou, which “leveled off in half an hour”, he pointed out.

“We have had practically no communication with Kariakou for the past 12 hours, apart from a brief communication in the morning via a satellite phone”he added today.

“It is clear that the climate crisis is pushing disasters to new record levels,” noted UN Climate chief Simon Steele, whose family is among those affected in Kariakou. According to his office, his grandmother’s house was destroyed and his parents’ house was badly damaged.

“The climate crisis is going from bad to worse and faster than predicted”which makes it necessary in response “much more ambitious climate action from governments and businesses”he added, in a statement to AFP on the night of Monday to Tuesday.

In the neighboring archipelago of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Beryl wreaked havoc and killed at least one person, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

“Unfortunately, there is one dead. We may have more casualties, we are not sure“, he said in a video he posted on Facebook and the “90% of homes were severely damaged or destroyed on one of the islands where the airport roof came off”.

Cyclone

In Barbados, homes and shops were flooded and fishing boats were destroyed in Bridgetown. It looks like we “got away with it cheaply,” Home Secretary Wilfred Abrahams said in a video, even as gusty winds remain threatening.

On the French island of Martinique, which has been placed on a tropical storm alert like southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic, winds have picked up since Sunday afternoon and heavy rain is falling, according to AFP correspondents in the area.

About 10,000 citizens are in the dark in Martinique, in different communities, according to EDF.

Cyclone

In neighboring Guadeloupe, sailboats broke up when they hit the shore and vehicles were damaged in a parking lot.

Beryl is the first cyclone of the season in the Atlantic.