Hurricane Beryl: ‘Potentially catastrophic’ storm sends residents rushing for shelter in Caribbean

People buy wood to protect their windows as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl in Cancun, Mexico. Photo: Reuters

Danica Coto

Hurricane Beryl has strengthened to category four as it heads for several islands in the eastern Caribbean.

The hurricane will bring “potentially catastrophic hurricane-force winds, a life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves” as it was due to pass through the Windward Islands last night, the United States’s National Weather Service (NWS) said. This will be the strongest storm to hit the islands since 2004.