Deadly storm hits Jamaica

Jamaica is bracing for a powerful hurricane hurtling towards the Caribbean island.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that Beryl, a Category 4 storm with winds approaching 140 mph (220 km/h), is expected to pass near or over the southern coast in the next few hours.

It forecast “life-threatening winds and storm surges” later in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

At least seven people have died so far as the storm swept through the Caribbean.

A hurricane warning has been issued in Jamaica and authorities have imposed a curfew from 06:00 to 18:00 local time (11:00-23:00 GMT).

Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged people to “take this hurricane seriously”.

“If you live in a low-lying area, an area historically prone to flooding and landslides, or if you live on a river bank or a ravine, I implore you to evacuate to a shelter or a safe place,” he said.

The hurricane made landfall in Grenada for the first time on Monday, killing three people, including one in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and three others in northern Venezuela, which has been hit by strong winds and flooding.

About 90% of the houses on the Union Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were destroyed or severely damaged.

There are power supply outages in parts of Jamaica, and the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) said it was forced to suspend the restoration of power lines in some locations for the safety of workers.

At a news conference, Dr. Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, said Jamaica would experience a “devastating hurricane.”

The director explained that up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain could fall in some parts of the country, potentially causing flooding and mudslides, while life-threatening storm surges up to 9 feet (2.7m) above tide level are also expected.

“Everyone in Jamaica needs to stay in a safe place and be prepared to stay there for at least 12 hours,” Dr. Brennan warned.

The BBC’s Nick Davis said Jamaicans had been flocking to supermarkets on Tuesday to “buy as much as possible as quickly as possible”.

Jamaica’s Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said there are 900 shelters on the island to accommodate people who need to leave their homes.

In Venezuela, heavy rains from Hurricane Beryl caused rivers to overflow in the northern state of Sucre. Three people died and many are still missing.

A government delegation was struck by a falling tree while inspecting the damage.

President Nicolás Maduro said Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was among those injured. He said she was “severely injured but conscious”.

In Mexico, residents of Cancun have rushed to supermarkets to stock up on supplies as Hurricane Beryl is expected to hit in the coming days. Some people are experiencing empty shelves.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Beryl was the earliest Category 5 storm recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and formed much earlier than usual during hurricane season.

Meteorologists also commented on the speed of beryl development.

Hurricane expert Sam Lillo told The Associated Press that the storm intensified from a tropical depression to a major hurricane within 42 hours.

In Texas, officials warned residents to prepare for the possibility of Beryl arriving this weekend.

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott told residents near the state’s Atlantic coast to “keep an eye on the bay” and “make emergency plans to take care of yourself and your loved ones.”

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that the North Atlantic could experience up to seven major hurricanes this year, an average of only three per season.