Sunday, 30 June Beryl gains momentum

Extract from NASA

On the morning of Sunday, June 30, Hurricane Beryl became a rare early season major hurricane when it reached Category 3 status with sustained winds of 115 mph as it was moving across the Atlantic 420 miles east-southeast of Barbados in the direction of the Leeward Islands.  Then, just a few hours later at 11:35 a.m. EDT, Beryl became the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record in the Atlantic with sustained winds reported at 130 mph by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), surpassing Hurricane Dennis from the epic 2005 Atlantic hurricane season.  Beryl also became historic as the strongest and easternmost hurricane and major hurricane in June in the Atlantic.   
 
Beryl originated from a tropical wave of low pressure that moved off the coast of Africa on June 22.  Known as African Easterly Waves (AEWs), these waves typically move westward from Africa across the tropical Atlantic and into the Caribbean at semi-regular intervals and can serve as seedlings for tropical storms and hurricanes.  However, what makes Beryl unusual is that it formed from an AEW so early in the season.  Beryl formed in what is known as the “main development region or MDR”, which is located between 10 and 20o N and 20 and 60o W or in the tropical Atlantic between the west coast of Africa and the lesser Antilles.  Storms forming here are also known as “Cape Verde storms”.  Normally, this part of the Atlantic doesn’t become active until the middle of hurricane season (i.e., August and September).  However, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are currently running anywhere from 1 to 2.5o C above average over nearly the entire MDR as well as across nearly the entire Caribbean.

We had hoped it wouldn't get worse but it has. Beryl is now forecast to be a category 5 hurricane, the highest rating with maximum sustained winds of 157mph and the forecast has shifted the eye further south to Carriacou. Gulp!

What makes this hurricane so awesome in the worst possible way is that Beryl is the fastest developed hurricane, from tropical depression to tropical storm to cat 5 in only 72 hours, ever recorded and the earliest major hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. F**k! Pain only has one language, bad language. Climate warming caused the Atlantic to get too hot which feeds the growth of a monster.

As I'm walking up to the showers I'm dodging dock lines being thrown off as mass panic takes hold. ''Did you hear? Category 5!'' ''We're going to Trinidad. Are you coming?''.

On Vessel Finder app you can see a hundred boats are fleeing 70nm south to Trinidad this morning. The boat traffic app shows yachts, ferries and cargo ships from islands further north then Grenada.

It is a sensible move. Trinidad sits a few miles off the coast of South America which acts a deflector for storms. (We later heard there were 500 yachts anchored in Trinidad and they only experienced light winds as Beryl moved past.)

David doesn't think it is necessary to move. We will be staying in Port Louis; it is rated to withstand a hurricane up to Category 2 and, as it is built within the walls of an extinct volcano we are surrounded by hills. The next major concern with a hurricane is sea surge as the eye passes bringing lower pressure and the winds shift. To get into the lagoon the path takes a dog leg, ie it's not directly open to the sea.

We may be staying, but that doesn't mean we are nonchalant about the potential threat. We remove the head sail and stow it inside Jackster, take off the bimini, strap the dinghy down hard on the rear coach roof and lash the kayak on the deck. Anything that could cause extra windage is removed or lashed down.

Our berth is between two monohulls; they each have a finger dock to tie to. We have a couple of lines from the bow down to a fixing on the seabed, doubled lines from sides to the dock, crossed lines at the stern and a line between our bow and our neighbour on each side. I'm worried that if things go wrong we are on the dock furthest from land – a long run to escape.

Being so well organised there is time in the afternoon to watch the highlights of the Austrian Grand Prix and to enjoy the last two Magnum ice creams. If Jackster goes down it won't be with our ice creams.

As the race finishes at 4pm Joel the dock master comes to tell us that the Government has issued a State of Emergency. He's pulling all power cords. This is really serious. State of Emergency means the nominated hurricane shelters will open at 6pm and everyone needs to be ashore.

I'm frantically trying to book accommodation. The lady next door has secured a two bed Airbnb overlooking the marina. However, she is allergic to cats and I don't want to leave Polly. She would be so frightened.

I have a light bulb moment and phone the apartments where we stayed when we hauled out in October. They accepted small animals. At first there is no answer and then I try the owner of the car rental firm who are based at Cool Runnings Apartments. Zavid is a lovely man (we've rented cars from him for the last two summers). Not only does he say there is one room available, but that he will come and collect us because all buses and taxies have stopped running. With no traffic on the road it takes 10 minutes to get there. The apartments are on the south side of the island near next to Spice Island haul out yard and Prickly Bay. The tin roofs of the apartments have hurricane chains incorporated...

I'd already been thinking what we would need to take with us when we step off Jackster if she sinks in the storm. We'll need the ditch bag with passports, credit cards, essential paperwork, a change of clothes, food and water for 48 hours and Polly's travel bag, litter tray and food. I add a bottle of wine too.