The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) on Sunday afternoon advised Jamaica to closely monitor the progress of Beryl, which has now strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane.

It also advised the Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, the Cayman Islands, and the remainder of the north-western Caribbean to keep a close eye on this hurricane, which is the first ever to reach this level in June.

Local forecaster, the Meteorological Service of Jamaica (Met Service), up to Sunday morning, said that Beryl was not an immediate threat to Jamaica, but noted that it is continuing to monitor the system.

It, however, urged fishers on the cays and the banks to complete their preparations and be on the alert to evacuate.

On Sunday afternoon, director of the Met Service Evan Thompson told the Jamaica Observer that while Beryl is still not considered an immediate threat to the country, “it could later pose a threat”.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged Jamaicans to take the necessary precautionary steps for adverse weather conditions associated with Beryl, which strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season on Saturday, with forecasters warning it would swiftly become a major storm.

A major hurricane is considered a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds of at least 111 miles per hour.

Although the Met Service has said Beryl is not an immediate threat to Jamaica, Prime Minister Holness noted that various models have projected that the cyclone will probably impact the island.

“All the models have suggested that if it is not direct impact, it will be in the vicinity of Jamaica. We expect that this will bring adverse weather conditions, and we expect that by Wednesday morning we will be experiencing such conditions,” Holness said at a consultative conference in St Andrew Southern.

He said that all the government agencies are in hurricane mode, with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) on alert, should the worst happen.

“The public is being asked to continue to monitor the media space for further advisories and should take the necessary safety precautions as issued by the ODPEM, Met Service. The ODPEM will continue to monitor and provide the public with information as they become available,” the agency said in its release on Saturday.