Beryl strengthens to Category 5 hurricane, bringing 'life-threatening winds and dangerous storm surge' to southeastern Caribbean

Hours after making landfall on Grenada’s Carriacou Island, Hurricane Beryl strengthened to a "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 storm late Monday as it moved west in the Caribbean on a path forecast to take it near Jamaica, officials said.Beryl had maximum sustained winds of about 160 mph at 11 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said. The increase in maximum sustained winds from 155 mph to 160 mph late Monday put the storm in Category 5 status, which is 157 mph or above.In an update at 2 a.m. ET, the NHC said the storm was “still intensifying.”Some changes in strength are likely, but it is still expected to be at “major hurricane” status by the time it passes Jamaica on Wednesday, the hurricane center said. A “major hurricane” is Category 3 or higher.“I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat,” Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned.Jamaica upgraded its advisory to a hurricane warning, up from a watch, and Holness urged people to seek higher, sa...