The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season first began in May with the subtropical storm Alberto.
That storm brought more than $50 million in damages to the Yucatan Peninsula, Cayman Islands, and the southeastern United States. With the past few weeks remaining silent in the Gulf and Atlantic, it has gotten a little more attention in the past 48 hours with an area of low pressure off the Carolina coast and the southwestern Atlantic with a newly developed Hurricane Beryl.
As of the 5 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Beryl has become the first named hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season after developing into a tropical storm less than one day ago. Current data classifies the storm as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of 75 mph moving west at around 15 mph. Current location is over 1,100 miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl’s small size is packing quite a punch, especially in cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures of around 77 to 78 degrees. Researchers said about 5 percent of all Atlantic tropical cyclones have formed in waters colder than 78.8 degrees on average and even those have formed farther to the north.
The National Hurricane Center said because of its size, difficulty in forecasting its intensity is much lower than normal. Closer monitoring over the next 48 hours will be likely. By Monday, Beryl is expected to downgrade from a hurricane to a tropical storm, and likely a tropical depression with wind speeds less than 60 mph. Residents in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico should still remain vigilant and attentive to local media and the National Hurricane Center for continuous updates.
