Hurricane Beryl was hurtling across the warm waters of the Caribbean toward Jamaica on Wednesday as millions of people on the island braced for the storm that devastated the southern Windward Islands earlier this week and killed at least six people.

Beryl, now a Category 4 with 145 mph winds, is forecast to pass near or over Jamaica as a major hurricane in the afternoon before unloading "devastating hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves," across the Cayman Islands as early as Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The storm is projected to drench Jamaica in 4 to 8 inches of rain, with 12 inches forecast in some places, which could cause "life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides," NHC said. On the coast, storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the whole of Jamaica a "disaster area" and imposed an islandwide curfew running on Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Haiti is expected to get 4 to 6 inches of rain Wednesday, triggering flash-flood and mudslide warnings. The Cayman Islands could get up to half a foot of rain through Thursday. Weather officials are also warning about life-threatening surf and rip currents along the southern coasts of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Jamaica.

Forecasters say Beryl will remain a hurricane later this week when it's projected to pass over the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and emerge over the Gulf of Mexico.

On Monday, Beryl made landfall in Grenada's Carriacou Island as a Category 4, ravaging the southern Caribbean Islands, flattening hundreds buildings and causing the deaths of at least six people. Later Monday night, Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record. Driven by record hot ocean temperatures, Beryl's rapid strengthening has stunned experts.

Developments:

∎ The outer bands of Hurricane Beryl have begun lashing Jamaica with strong wind gusts and heavy rain, according to a bulletin from the country's prime minister. National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said hurricane force winds were “just off shore” of the eastern tip of Jamaica at 11:15 a.m. local time. He described the current conditions as "extremely dangerous."

∎ The Meteorological Service of Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun, a popular tourist destination, according to NHC's 11 a.m. update. Tropical storm warnings were also issued for parts of Yucatan Peninsula.

∎ At least four people have died on smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean after Beryl reached Carriacou Island at 11:10 a.m. Monday, officials said. Heavy rainfall also affected northern Venezuela, where officials reported two deaths.

Hurricane Beryl tracker:See projected path of storm

Jamaica closes all international airports as Beryl nears island

The Jamaica Tourist Board announced Wednesday that the Sangster, Norman Manley and Ian Fleming international airports are closed as Hurricane Beryl approaches the island. The airports closed on Tuesday night after Beryl left at least six dead as it moves through the Caribbean.

Jamaica's travel website, VisitJamaica.com, doesn't list a reopening time for the airports and encouraged travelers to contact their travel agents and/ or airlines for flight updates. The website additionally encourages travelers to heed any instructions from their hotel or private accommodation on sheltering.

"We also encourage you to register with your Embassy for country specific guidance and support," the board said on the website.

The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica is open on a limited basis due to the hurricane and encouraged Americans to not visit the embassy for shelter and instead seek a government-run shelter. Citizens in Jamaica are encouraged to call the embassy at (876) 702-6486 if they need assistance. 

– Krystal Nurse

Ahead of Hurricane Beryl, Jamaicans prepare their homes

Donae Maye stocked up on water, candles and food earlier this week, before supermarkets across her hometown of Montego Bay, a city on Jamaica's northern Coast, emptied.

"There was no bread, no essentials that you actually need, no candles, very few tin products," she said on Wednesday, after a recent visit to some local grocery stores.

Maye, 27, also prepped her home, where she will shelter with her fiance, her son, and his father. "We cleared away any trees that might be blocking any electrical wires and stuff like that that might fall and break the window," she said.

She's confident that her house, which is made of concrete, will stand up to the storm better than many buildings did to Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago. Back then, more structures were made of board, which didn't fare well in the storm, she said. Today, "most structures are built to withstand the winds and the hurricane," she said.

Is Cancun in the path of Hurricane Beryl?

Among the parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and surrounding areas under hurricane warnings were Cancun and the island of Cozumel, two popular tourist destinations packed with luxury resorts and cruise ship ports.

The hurricane warnings were issued by the Meteorological Service of Mexico as forecasters warned residents and tourists of the projected impact of Hurricane Beryl. The update was included in the NHC's 11 a.m. outlook.

Brennan, the director of the NHC, said in a YouTube livestream on Wednesday that the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun, faces 3 to 5 feet of storm surge as well as up to 8 inches of rain.

The record-breaking hurricane is expected to make landfall along the Yucatan Peninsula Thursday night or early Friday, NHC said.

In Jamaica, tourists shelter in hotel ballroom from Hurricane Beryl

Cecilia Garcia and her family initially planned to weather the beginning of the hurricane in the bathroom of their hotel room in Ocho Rios, on Jamaica's northern coastline. "We do have windows in our room, so I think the safest option would probably be to go in our restroom," she said.

Moon Palace Jamaica, where Garcia, 25, is staying with her parents, brother, sister, and two kids, told hotel guests to evacuate to a ballroom. When Garcia and her family first visited the shelter, they found it too chaotic. "We ended up back in our room because it was very crowded," she said. "It was very hot in there."

But later on Wednesday morning, as the winds picked up, the family returned to the packed ballroom, where thin cots were arranged in rows, according to a video Garcia shared with USA TODAY.

Garcia and her family's flight back to their home of Houston, Texas, isn't until Saturday – the hurricane will strike at the midpoint of their week-long vacation. Garcia said if they chose to end their stay earlier, they wouldn't get a refund. 

Looking out at skies still partially clear on Wednesday morning, Garcia said the family was keeping calm ahead of the storm.

"We're kind of used to bad weather and floods like that in Houston," she said. "But again, it's different when you're not at home, so that's the only scary part."

Where is Hurricane Beryl?

Hurricane Beryl was 75 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 365 miles east-southeast of the Cayman Islands, moving at a speed of 18 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. update.

It’s expected to begin unleashing hurricane conditions across Jamaica around midday before reaching the Cayman Islands Wednesday night or early Thursday, NHC said.

Early Friday, Beryl is expected to move over Belize and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, bringing flash floods with 2 to 6 inches of rain forecast and up to 8 inches possible in some area. Meanwhile, storm surge could raise water levels by 3 to 5 feet, according to NHC.

NHC forecasters said more models are showing Beryl restrengthening as it enters the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. Their official forecast now shows Beryl becoming a hurricane before making landfall along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

While there's still "significant uncertainty" about where exactly the storm will go, experts with AccuWeather warned that the chances of direct impacts along portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast and Texas "are increasing."

Chances increasing for Beryl to hit South Texas

Once Beryl reaches the warm Gulf of Mexico waters this weekend, forecasters are unsure what it will do next.

The official forecast of the National Weather Service, which noted “significant uncertainty in the long-term track forecast,” shows Beryle making landfall along the western coast of the Gulf.

While Beryl will continue to track slightly northwest in the short term, the influence of high pressure to the north over the southern U.S. is likely to waver, affecting where Beryl will go. "Interests along the Texas portion of the Gulf Coast should monitor the situation closely, as the chances of direct impacts are increasing," AccuWeather said.

"From Panama City, to New Orleans, there is a low risk of direct impacts from Beryl, but from about Corpus Christi to Brownsville, Texas, the risk increases significantly due to the potential for Beryl to have more direct impacts," Porter said.

"That southern portion of the Texas coast is the zone we have to really watch."

Jamaica braces for Hurricane Beryl

Jamaican officials warned residents to stock up on food, batteries, candles, and drinking water. Residents in flood-prone areas were also advised to prepare for evacuation.

"Secure your critical documents and remove any trees or items that could endanger your property," the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica said on X on Tuesday. "Everyone, including those living alone, should take these necessary steps now."

As a precaution, Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Tuesday night that electricity and water services will likely be shut off "if the storm reaches a serious threshold" to prevent fires and protect equipment.

Record-breaking path:Hurricane Beryl tears through the Caribbean

"Only one hurricane has ever affected Jamaica during July," according to AccuWeather meteorologist Jesse Ferrell. "Category 4 Hurricane Dennis in 2005 did not make landfall but killed one person and caused a lot of damage."

As Beryl roars across the Caribbean Sea, impacts on the U.S. and Gulf Coast remain unclear. The National Weather Service's offices in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, are closely monitoring Beryl's progress and the forecast over the next couple of days.

But forecasters have warned that parts of the western Gulf coast may experience strong winds and storm surge over the weekend, according to AccuWeather. The weather service also noted the risk of dangerous rip currents at Texas' Gulf Coast beaches over the weekend.

Hurricane Beryl breaks records

Forecasters have projected 2024 to be one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record. Beryl has already surprised forecasters and broken records since it formed, including becoming the earliest Category 4 or 5 storm on record.

Beryl broke the previous record set by Hurricane Emily on July 17, 2005 for the strongest Category 5 hurricane. Beryl rapidly strengthened from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in about 48 hours.

The storm is also the earliest Category 4 or larger storm by more than a week, breaking the record set by Hurricane Dennis, a Category 4 storm on July 8, 2005.

It was fueled by much warmer than normal ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and aided in that development by light winds that allowed it to build a strong inner core.

— Jennifer Borresen, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Ramon Padilla

Hurricane Beryl tracker:See projected path of Category 5 storm

Smaller islands hit hard by Beryl

Beryl hit St. Vincent and the Grenadines especially hard, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

"The hurricane has come and gone, and it has left in its wake immense destruction," he said, adding that Union Island had 90% of homes "severely damaged or destroyed."

After making landfall in Grenada's Carriacou Island on Monday, strong winds and high water levels smashed fishing boats in Barbados, downed power lines in Grenada and St. Vincent, and knocked out drinking water in St. Lucia, according to officials.

Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell noted on Tuesday that the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique were significantly impacted by the hurricane. In addition to downed power lines, roads were also remained impassable and fuel stations were destroyed.

"The situation is grim. There is no power. There is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings," Mitchell said.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY; Reuters; Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network-Florida

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