Hurricane Beryl forecast to become a Category 4 storm as it nears southeast Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl is forecast to strengthen into a powerful Category 4 storm as it approaches the southeast Caribbean. The region began shutting down Sunday amid urgent pleads from government officials for people to take shelter. Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned Beryl was “forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge … as an extremely dangerous hurricane." Beryl was located about 465 miles (750 kilometers) east-southeast of Barbados. It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph) and was moving west at 21 mph (33 kph). It is currently a Category 1 storm.