Foreign Office says 'airports closed' as holiday hotspot hit by hurricane

Ben Hurst & Ben Hurst
·3-min read
DOMINICAN REP-WEATHER-METEOROLOGY-HURRICANE-BERLY
-Credit: (Image: (Image: Getty))


The Foreign Office has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers, stating that 'all airports will be closed' as the death toll rises to six. Hurricane Beryl is predicted to hit the Caribbean as early as this morning (July 3), and officials have advised travellers that evacuation orders may be enforced - urging them to comply with local authorities.

In their update, the Foreign Office stated: "Weather projections forecast a major hurricane to hit Jamaica, possible as early as the morning of Wednesday 3 July. International and domestic airports are closed from 2200 local on Tuesday 2 July, and will only reopen when assessed safe to do so. You should follow and monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities including any evacuation orders. See Extreme weather and natural disasters."

Hurricane Beryl tore through open waters on Tuesday as a formidable Category 5 storm, following a trajectory that could bring it close to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after initially making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, claiming at least six lives. A hurricane warning has been issued for Jamaica, with a hurricane watch in place for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

Beryl, predicted to start dissipating by Tuesday, is still expected to remain near major hurricane strength as it approaches Jamaica on Wednesday, the Cayman Islands on Thursday and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula come Friday. The National Hurricane Centre has issued warnings about Beryl, expecting it to cause life-threatening winds and storm surges in Jamaica, prompting officials to urge those residing in flood-prone areas to prepare for evacuation.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, addressing the public, stressed the significance of the situation: "I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat," but advised against panic, reports the Express.

Record warm waters have fueled Beryl to become the earliest Category 5 storm ever recorded in the Atlantic. On Tuesday, Beryl was situated roughly 300 miles (485 kilometres) southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic.

Boasting top winds of 165 mph (270 kph), it was headed west-northwest at 22 mph (35 kph).

"Beryl remains an impressive Category 5 hurricane," announced the National Hurricane Centre. A tropical storm warning is in effect across the southern coast of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

As Beryl tore through the Caribbean Sea, southeast Caribbean rescue teams scoured the area to determine the extent of damage caused by Hurricane Beryl, which initially landed on Carriacou, an island of Grenada, as a Category 4 storm.

Three individuals tragically lost their lives in Grenada, with another casualty reported in St Vincent and the Grenadines, according to officials. In Grenada, one person died when a tree toppled onto a house, as Kerryne James, the minister of climate resilience, environment and renewable energy, informed The Associated Press.

James highlighted that Carriacou and Petit Martinique bore the brunt of the damage, with urgent needs including water, food, and baby formula. Plans were underway for an emergency team to head to Carriacou on Tuesday morning.

Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described the dire circumstances at a press briefing: "The situation is grim," he said. "There is no power, and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island."

He further detailed the state of infrastructure, noting, "The roads are not passable, and in many instances they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets."

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