Airports closed as Caribbean residents pressed for shelter

Airports and businesses have been closed and residents in the Caribbean have been urged to seek shelter as a potentially devastating storm hits the region.

Hurricane Beryl, which has strengthened in recent hours, has prompted warnings of life-threatening winds and dangerous storm surges.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago.

Dozens of flights across the region were cancelled as Beryl approached on Sunday evening, as leaders urged the public to heed warnings.

“It's not a joke,” St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said, reminding people of the devastation wrought by hurricanes in the Caribbean in the past.

In a national address from his official residence, Mr Gonsalves said he was taking shelter in his basement.

“The roof, and especially the old part of the roof, may not survive 150 mph winds. I'm making preparations to come down,” he said.

Beryl's strength fluctuates.

The hurricane was upgraded to a Category 4 storm on Monday after weakening slightly earlier in the day.

The NHC said fluctuations in strength are likely to continue, but it warned that parts of the Windward Islands should prepare for “potentially catastrophic wind damage.”

According to the report, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada are at the greatest risk of damage.

Hurricane shelters opened at 6:00 PM local time (10:00 PM GMT) on Sunday.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley also called on citizens to be alert.

“We have to be ready. You and I know that when things like this happen, it's better to plan for the worst and pray for the best,” she said.

“Be on your guard,” she added.

Meteorologists say it is unusual for a hurricane of this strength to form so early in the year.

“There have only been five major hurricanes (Category 3+) on record in the Atlantic Ocean before the first week of July,” hurricane expert Michael Lowry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Beryl would be the sixth and first to be found in the far east in the tropical Atlantic,” Lowry wrote.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that the North Atlantic could see as many as seven major hurricanes this year, more than the average of three hurricanes per season.

According to the report, record high sea surface temperatures are partly to blame.

Meteorologists have also noted how quickly Beryl developed.

The storm grew from a tropical depression to a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) in just 42 hours, hurricane expert Sam Lillo told the Associated Press news agency.

Much of the region has taken the warnings to heart.

Shops are closed and people have stocked up on fuel and groceries.

Grenada declared a state of emergency and St. Lucia imposed a “national lockdown,” ordering schools and businesses to remain closed.