Hurricane Beryl intensified to Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale over the eastern Caribbean Sea on Monday evening.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Beryl was located at latitude 13.8°N and longitude 64.9°W which put the center about 840 miles (1355 km) east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.  Beryl was moving toward the west-northwest at 22 m.p.h. (35 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 160 m.p.h. (260 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 190 m.p.h. (305 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 938 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for Jamaica.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the south coast of the Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque to the border with Haiti.  A Tropical Storm Warning was also in effect for the south coast of Haiti from Anse d’Hainault to the border with the Dominican Republic.

A NOAA research aircraft determined on Monday evening that Hurricane Beryl had intensified to a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  A circular eye with a diameter of 17 miles (28 km) was present 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 continue to decrease.

The size of the circulation around Hurricane Beryl remained relatively constant during Monday evening.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 40 miles (65 km) from the center of Beryl’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 125 miles (200 km) from the center of Hurricane Beryl.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Beryl was 35.0.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 12.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 47.6.  Hurricane Beryl was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Michael when Michael hit Northwest Florida in 2018.

The eye of Hurricane Beryl moved over Carriacou Island earlier on Monday.  There were reports of significant damage on that island.  The core of Beryl’s circulation passed just to the north of Grenada.  A weather station at Maurice Bishop International airport in Grenada (TGPY) reported a sustained wind speed of 92 m.p.h. (148 km/h) and a wind gust of 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h).

Hurricane Beryl will move through an environment favorable for a powerful hurricane 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 tropical Atlantic Ocean and eastern Caribbean Sea.  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 could intensify during the next 24 hours unless another Eyewall Replacement Cycle occurs.  The vertical wind shear is forecast to increase on Wednesday and Beryl is likely to weaken when the wind shear increases.

Hurricane Beryl will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the western Atlantic Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Beryl toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Hurricane Beryl will move toward Jamaica.  Beryl could reach Jamaica on Wednesday.  Hurricane Beryl will pass south of Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning.  Beryl will move south of Hispaniola later on Tuesday.