Maroc - POPDIARIES.COM - A La Une - 03/Jul 04:12

Hurricane Beryl moves towards Jamaica after tearing through the southeastern Caribbean.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada (AP) — Hurricane Beryl surged through open waters Tuesday as a formidable Category 4 storm heading towards Jamaica after previously crossing islands in the southeast Caribbean, resulting in the deaths of at least six people. A hurricane alert was issued for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. While Beryl was weakening, it was projected to maintain near major-hurricane strength as it approaches Jamaica early Wednesday, passes near the Cayman Islands on Thursday, and moves towards Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula by Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. A hurricane warning was issued for Haiti’s southern coastline and the east coast of the Yucatan. Belize issued a tropical storm alert extending south from its border with Mexico to Belize City. In the late hours of Monday, Beryl became the earliest storm on record to escalate into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, reaching peak winds of 165 mph (270 kph) by Tuesday before subsiding to a still-potent Category 4. As of Tuesday night, the storm was approximately 360 miles (580 kilometers) east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. It sustained top winds of 150 mph (240 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 22 mph (35 kph), as reported by the center. Beryl was anticipated to bring dangerous winds and storm surge to Jamaica, prompting officials to advise residents in flood-prone areas to get ready for potential evacuation. "I urge all Jamaicans to treat this hurricane as a significant threat," Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated in a public announcement on Tuesday. "However, it's important not to panic." Michael Brennan, Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, remarked that Jamaica seems to be directly in Beryl's trajectory. READ MORE -  Elon Musk criticizes Kamala Harris for her remarks about Trump, calling it a "falsehood."