Hurricane Beryl to become Category 4 as it nears Caribbean [Video]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –

Hurricane Beryl is forecast to strengthen into a powerful Category 4 storm as it approaches the southeast Caribbean, which began shutting down Sunday amid urgent pleas from government officials for people to take shelter.

Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Beryl’s centre is expected to pass about 70 miles (112 kilometres) south of Barbados on Monday morning, said Sabu Best, director of Barbados’ meteorological service.

“This is a very serious situation developing for the Windward Islands,” warned the National Hurricane Center in Miami, which said that Beryl was “forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge.”

Beryl was located about 335 miles (570 kilometres) east-southeast of Barbados. It was a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h) that was moving west at 21 m.p.h. (33 km/h). It is a compact storm, with hurricane-force winds extending …