BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC)— Hurricane Beryl on Monday strengthened as it made its way towards St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada becoming an “extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane,” the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned.

In its latest bulletin, the NHC said that the hurricane hunter aircraft data indicated that the storm had strengthened and that life-threatening winds and storm surge are expected to begin affecting the Windward Islands Monday morning.

The hurricane, the first named for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season, is packing maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (mph) and is moving forward at a speed of 20 mph.

“A continued quick westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next few days. On the forecast track, the centre of Beryl is expected to move across the Windward Islands this morning and across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea late today through Wednesday,” the NHC said.

It said data from the NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunters indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph with higher gusts. Beryl is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

“Fluctuations in strength are likely during the next day or so, but Beryl is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane as its core moves through the Windward Islands into the eastern Caribbean. Some weakening is expected in the central Caribbean by midweek, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane,” NHC warned.

It said that hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.

The Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados recently reported sustained winds of 47 mph with a gust to 69 mph.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago, while a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Martinique and Trinidad.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica, south coast of Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward to the border with Haiti, south coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Anse d’Hainaul.