Hurricane Beryl, a powerful Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 120 mph, is currently tracking just south of the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The storm, located 50 miles southwest of Grand Cayman, is moving west-northwest at a speed of 20 mph.
Beryl's hurricane-force winds extend 45 miles from its center, with tropical storm-force winds reaching up to 175 miles away. The islands experienced tropical storm-force winds early Thursday morning, with the airport on Grand Cayman reporting sustained winds exceeding 40 mph and gusts over 50 mph since sunrise.
The storm is expected to bring as much as 4 feet of storm surge and dangerous surf to the islands. Heavy rainfall is also a concern, with Grand Cayman already receiving 1 to 2 inches of rain in the last three hours. Rainfall rates are approaching 1 inch per hour, raising the risk of flash flooding.
The Cayman Islands are forecasted to receive widespread rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches today, with localized areas potentially experiencing even higher totals if they are hit by the heaviest rain bands of the hurricane.
