According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl is moving toward the west at about 15 mph (24 km/h). A faster westward to west-northwestward motion is expected to begin over the weekend and continue through early next week. 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.
The good news is that by Sunday evening, Beryl will be entering a zone where conditions are not very conducive to strengthening. “Because of the small size of Beryl, along with anticipated weakening, widespread wind damage is not expected,” according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
However, this does not mean precautions should not be taken. There is still the risk of flooding and property damage. Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph (130 km/h) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Beryl could still be a hurricane by late Sunday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles (20 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 kilometers).
Hurricane 80mph, and expected to dissipate around mid-week next week. 3goXqCqNeL
— NWS (@NWS) July 6, 2018
“Beryl, the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the first classified as a hurricane is heading toward the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and will approach Puerto Rico on Monday. If Beryl makes landfall in Puerto Rico it will be around Monday afternoon, and it will continue to impact the island into Monday night,” said Dr. Joel Myers, founder, president, and chairman of AccuWeather.
Myers, adds that while the storm is expected to weaken, there could still be “rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches which is not a heavy amount. However, there is likely to be local spots that get up to 6 inches of rain, which could cause local flooding.”
Tropical Depression 3
As of 5:00 p.m. EDT, Tropical Depression 3 had formed off the coast of the Carolinas and is expected to impact weather along the East coast of the U.S. this weekend. According to the NHC, the depression is 230 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Tropical Depression wINuI2SAhr
— NWS (@NWS) July 6, 2018
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour and its present movement is to the north-northwest at about 5.0 mph. The depression should slow down and meander of well offshore of the coast of North Carolina through Monday.
The depression is expected to become a Tropical Storm by Saturday – and if it does, it will be the third named tropical storm of this season – Chris. A reconnaissance plane is scheduled to investigate the cyclone on Saturday.
