Hurricane Beryl Intensifies to Category 3

Maximum Sustained Winds Now 130 mph

Cayman Islands Under Hurricane Watch

Hurricane Beryl has intensified to a Category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds of near 130 mph (215 kmh), according to the National Hurricane Center. The latest data from NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunters indicates a significant increase in wind speed since earlier this morning, when Beryl was a Category 1 hurricane.

As of 5:00 AM AST on Tuesday, July 2, the center of Beryl was located near 14.6 degrees north latitude and 66.9 degrees west longitude, about 235 miles (370 kilometers) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. The storm is moving at a west-northwestward direction near 14 mph (22 kmh).

A hurricane warning has been issued for the Cayman Islands, which are located directly in the path of the storm. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for parts of Jamaica, the southwestern coast of Haiti, and the southern coast of the Dominican Republic.