Hurricane Beryl rapidly intensified to a major hurricane over the Atlantic Ocean east of the Windward Islands on Sunday morning.  At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Hurricane Beryl was located at latitude 10.6°N and longitude 53.9°W which put the center about 420 miles (675 km) east-southeast of Barbados.  Beryl was moving toward the west at 21 m.p.h. (33 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 140 m.p.h. (225 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 968 mb.

Hurricane Warnings were in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for Martinique.

A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for Dominica.

A U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft found that Hurricane Beryl had rapidly intensified to a major hurricane on Sunday morning.  Beryl was a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) formed at the center of Beryl’s circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Beryl.  Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane in all directions.  The removal of large amounts of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.

The circulation around Hurricane Beryl was relatively small.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Beryl’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 80 miles (130 km) from the center of Hurricane Beryl.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Beryl was 20.6.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 5.4.  The Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 26.0.

Hurricane Beryl will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Beryl will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge over the central tropical Atlantic Ocean.  The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Beryl’s circulation.  The winds in the lower levels of the atmosphere are also blowing from the east and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Hurricane Beryl will continue to intensify during the next 24 hours. Beryl could continue to intensify rapidly.

Hurricane Beryl will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Beryl toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Beryl will move quickly toward the Windward Islands.  Beryl will approach Barbados and Tobago by Sunday night.  Hurricane Beryl will affect St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands, and Martinique on Monday.

Hurricane Beryl will be a major hurricane when it reaches the Windward Islands.  Beryl will cause major damage on some of the Windward Islands.  Hurricane Beryl will also drop heavy rain.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.  Hurricane Beryl could cause a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) on the parts of islands where the wind blows the water toward the shore.