Washington [US], July 1: Hurricane Beryl has been upgraded to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 as it approaches the southeast Caribbean, the U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said Sunday.
The hurricane is located about 570 kilometres east-southeast of Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h, the NHC said. It is a compact storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 30 kilometres from its centre.
Citing the NHC advisory, the AP said Beryl is expected to pass just south of Barbados early Monday and then head into the Caribbean Sea as a major hurricane on a path toward Jamaica. It is expected to weaken by mid-week but still remain a hurricane as it heads toward Mexico.
The region began shutting down Sunday amid urgent pleas from government officials for people to take shelter.
The storm is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge in the Windward Islands beginning early Monday, the Miami-based centre said on its website.
Cars were seen lined up at petrol stations in the Barbadian capital Bridgetown, while supermarkets and grocery stores were crowded with shoppers buying food, water and other supplies.
Source: Emirates News Agency