MIAMI– Tropical Storm Beryl formed Friday in the Atlantic Ocean and could become the first hurricane of the year before hitting the Caribbean Sea early next week.
Beryl is the second named storm in what is expected to be a busy hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th in the Atlantic. Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Alberto landed in northeastern Mexico with heavy rains that resulted in four deaths.
Beryl was moving west on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 km/h). A tropical storm is defined by sustained winds between 39 mph and 73 mph (62 km/h and 117 km/h). Winds above that make it a hurricane.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the 2024 hurricane season will likely be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast calls for up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
A nameless storm in early June, it dumped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of South Florida, stranding several drivers on flooded streets and pushing water into some homes in low-lying areas.
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