National Hurricane Center
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has confirmed that a storm named Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2018 season. Although the hurricane is said to be “small,” the latest models predict its track over the next few days. While the storm will cause some disturbances in the Caribbean, early maps show it steering clear of the state of Florida.
The storm is expected to weaken dramatically once it hits land.
Hurricane Beryl’s Projected Path & Current Conditions
According to the NOAA, Beryl is currently 1,140 miles off the coast of the Lesser Antilles. The storm, which is currently a Category 1, is expected to arrive in the Lesser Antilles by late Sunday or early Monday. Although the storm will bring higher-than-normal wind gusts and some rain to the islands, it is expected to weaken as it approaches land.
“Upper-level winds will become hostile before Beryl approaches the Lesser Antilles this weekend. These shearing winds should weaken this system as it draws closer to the Lesser Antilles,” The Weather Channel reports.
Beryl’s sustained winds are around 75 mph and extend just 10 miles from her center, while her Tropical storm force winds extend out only 35 miles.
Spaghetti models show various different paths for Hurricane Beryl, but most take the storm right over Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria back in September. By this time, however, forecasters predict that Beryl will be downgraded to a Tropical Storm.
Will Hurricane Beryl Hit Florida?
As you can see in the photo above, Beryl is not expected to affect the state of Florida. Most of the models take her into the Atlantic and up the coast, before shifting her out to sea. While there a few outliers — one that takes her directly into South America and another that looks like it could bring some unpleasant weather to North Carolina, Beryl seems to steer clear of Florida.
In 2017, southern Florida was hit by Hurricane Irma. The Category 5 storm did quite a bit of damage in Key West and Miami before plowing through the state and wreaking havoc in Naples. The area was left flooded and without electricity for a couple of weeks. The storm continued moving through the state, bringing heavy wind and rain to Tampa, while causing tornado warnings in the Orlando area.
There Is Another Storm Close to the United States
While the U.S. doesn’t need to be overly concerned with Hurricane Beryl at this time, there is another story that is sitting off the coast of the Carolinas.
“The hurricane center said rain and storms were starting to look more organized near the system and tropical depression is “likely” to form over the next few days. The system is forecast to move slowly northwestward and could meander or stall near the North Carolina coast over the weekend. The hurricane center cautioned those along the coast in North and South Carolina to continue to monitor the system, which has an 80 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next few days,” Alabama.com reported on July 6.
