Hurricane Beryl a little stronger, forecast to still be a hurricane near Lesser Antilles

Hurricane Beryl has formed in the Atlantic, becoming the first hurricane of the of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami say the storm’s winds have strengthened to 80 mph. as of Friday morning.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, Beryl is moving toward the west near 15 mph. A faster westward to west-northwestward motion is expected to begin over the weekend and continue through early next week. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will approach the Lesser Antilles over the weekend and cross the island chain late Sunday or Monday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 80 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Beryl is expected to still be a hurricane when it reaches the Lesser Antilles late Sunday or Monday. Weakening is expected once Beryl reaches the eastern Caribbean Sea on Monday, but the system may not degenerate into an open trough until it reaches the vicinity of Hispaniola and the central Caribbean Sea.

Beryl is a compact hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles (20 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles.

Subtropical Storm Alberto became the first named storm of the 2018 season. It formed in May, just before the June 1 start of hurricane season. It dumped heavy rain on the southeastern United States.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

Interests in the Lesser Antilles should monitor the progress of Beryl, as hurricane watches could be needed for some of the islands by tonight.

11:00 AM, Fri Jul 6
Location: 10.7°N 46.5°W
Moving: W at 15 mph
Min pressure: 994 mb
Max sustained: 80 mph