Hurricane Beryl explodes into Category 5 storm with 165-mph winds. Will Florida feel impact?

Hurricane Beryl exploded overnight, growing into a Category 5 hurricane with 165-mph winds, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

And it's been able to maintain that strength since 2 a.m.

When it made landfall at 11 a.m. on Carriacou Island Monday, July 1, it was a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds.

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Forecasters said Beryl is expected to bring "life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica" on Wednesday.

The next significant landmass in Beryl's path will be Jamaica on Wednesday," AccuWeather Lead Tropical Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said. "Jamaica is likely to experience a high risk to lives and property Wednesday."

Factors affecting Beryl's intensity include much warmer-than-historical-average waters and wind shear, according to AccuWeather forecasters. If wind shear is strong enough, it can lead to weakening of tropical systems. Warm water helps storms develop and intensify.

DaSilva said water temperatures in early July are equal to what they usually are in late August, early September.

"Even if Beryl loses some wind intensity during the second half of the week, it will remain a dangerous hurricane with the likelihood of torrential rain, flooding, mudslides, damaging winds, pounding seas and storm surge along and near its path," according to AccuWeather.

Hurricane Beryl sets record as earliest Category 5 storm on record

Beryl wasted no time in growing into a powerful hurricane.

The system making its way quickly across the Atlantic became a tropical depression Friday afternoon, a tropical storm by late Friday night and a hurricane about 24 hours later on Saturday.

By Sunday morning, Beryl had strengthened into a major Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 130 mph.

During landfall on Carriacou Island in Grenada at 11 a.m. Monday, it was a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds.

Twelve hours later, it was a Category 5 storm with 160-mph winds.

Three hours later, at 2 a.m. Tuesday, it had strengthened again, with winds at 165 mph, which it was holding on to at 8 a.m.

Its the earliest Category 5 storm on record, according to Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger. "This is the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, beating Emily's record from 2005 by 15 days."

Truchelut works with the USA TODAY Network-Florida to provide the latest storm information Florida residents need.

Spaghetti models: Where will Hurricane Beryl go next?

Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

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Will Hurricane Beryl impact Florida, US?

"After #Beryl impacts the Yucatan Thursday night and Friday, hopefully as a weaker hurricane, more and more guidance starts to turn it north once it reemerges over the Bay of Campeche on Saturday," Jim Cantore, The Weather Channel meteorologist tweeted Tuesday morning.

"Even though some guidance has Beryl a TS at this point, some keeps it as a hurricane so the western gulf needs to be on alert potentially for the later part of the holiday weekend and early next week. Much of the future fluctuation and strength will depend on shear and land interaction, but we still have lots of warm ocean out there to keep it going or strengthen it up at times. Stay tuned!"

AccuWeather meteorologists have given the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and the Florida Peninsula the all-clear from direct impacts from Beryl but warned residents to not let down their guard.

"At this point, the most likely scenario is for the storm to move westward into Mexico. However, it is very important to note that if the high pressure across the Southeast weakens, that can allow the storm to move farther north and potentially directly impact the Gulf Coast," DaSilva said.

"Should the high pressure area remain strong, Beryl will make landfall in Belize or Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday night or Friday," said AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

"But if the high weakens just a bit, it may allow Beryl to take a more northwesterly track, in which case it may avoid more land and get into the Gulf of Mexico as a formidable hurricane instead of a chopped-down tropical storm that encounters more land."

Because of the potential for Beryl to turn more to the northwest upon reaching the northwestern Caribbean, residents in the U.S., especially the Texas coast, should closely monitor the hurricane's progress and forecasts by meteorologists.

"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," said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.

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

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Watches, warnings issued across Florida

Hurricane Beryl: What you need to know

• Location: 300 miles southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic; 625 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica

• Maximum sustained winds: 165 mph

• Movement: West-northwest at 22 mph

• Pressure: 934 mb

• Next advisory: 11 a.m.

Watches and warnings issued for Hurricane Beryl

For an explanation of what the watches and warnings mean, scroll to the bottom of this story.

Hurricane warning: A hurricane warning is in effect for:

• Jamaica

Hurricane watch: A hurricane watch is in effect for:

• Grand Cayman

• Little Cayman and Cayman Brac

Tropical Storm Warning: A tropical storm warning is in effect for the following:

• South coast of Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque westward to the border with Haiti

• South coast of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Anse d'Hainault

Hurricane Beryl 'powerful' Category 5 hurricane with 165-mph winds

At 8 a.m., the eye of Hurricane Beryl was located near latitude 15.0 North, longitude 67.9 West.

Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 22 mph and is forecast to continue moving rapidly west- northwest during the next couple of days and turn west by Thursday.

On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will move quickly across the southeastern and central Caribbean Sea today and is forecast to pass near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday.

Reports from NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds remain near 165, with higher gusts.

Beryl is a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Weakening should begin later today, but Beryl is still expected to be near major hurricane intensity as it moves into the central Caribbean and passes near Jamaica on Wednesday and the Cayman Islands on Thursday.

Additional weakening is expected thereafter, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles. NOAA buoy 42059 to the north of the eye recently reported sustained winds of 72 mph and a wind gust of 94 mph.

How strong is Hurricane Beryl and where is it going?

Key messages from the National Hurricane Center: What you need to know about Hurricane Beryl

• Beryl is forecast to remain a powerful hurricane as it moves across the Caribbean Sea later this week. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Jamaica, where hurricane conditions are expected on Wednesday. A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect for the south coast of Hispaniola, and a Hurricane Watch is now in effect for all of the Cayman Islands.

• Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are likely over much of Jamaica on Wednesday.

• Residents in Belize, the Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, and the southwestern Gulf of Mexico should monitor the progress of Beryl. Additional watches and warnings will likely be required later today or Wednesday.

Current forecast: How strong is Hurricane Beryl expected to get?

• Currently: 165 mph

• 12 hours: 155 mph

• 24 hours: 140 mph

• 36 hours: 120 mph

• 48 hours: 110 mph

• 60 hours: 100 mph

• 72 hours: 90 mph

• 96 hours: 65 mph

• 120 hours: 65 mph

What impact could Hurricane Beryl have and what areas could be affected?

• WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the coast of Jamaica within the warning area on Wednesday. Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength early on Wednesday, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

  • Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area along the south coast of Hispaniola later today.

  • Hurricane conditions could begin on Thursday across the Cayman Islands.

• STORM SURGE: Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the immediate coast of Jamaica.

  • Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the immediate coast of the Cayman Islands.

  • Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level in areas of onshore winds along the southern coast of Hispaniola. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

• RAINFALL: Hurricane Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with localized maxima of 12 inches, across Jamaica on Wednesday. This rainfall is likely to cause flash flooding. Rainfall from outer bands of Beryl should impact mainly southern portions of Hispaniola today into Wednesday, with 2 to 6 inches of rain possible.

• SURF: Large swells generated by Beryl will continue across the Windward and southern Leeward Islands during the next couple of days. Swells are also expected to reach the southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola later today. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Interactive map: What tropical storms, hurricanes have impacted your area in the past?

What do the watches and warnings from NHC mean?

What is storm surge? Graphics explain the deadly weather event

Hurricane warning: A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

Hurricane watch: A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

Tropical storm warning: A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

Tropical storm watch: An announcement that sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are possible within the specified area within 48 hours in association with a tropical, subtropical, or post-tropical cyclone.

Storm surge warning: A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations. This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions. Follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials.

Storm surge watch: A storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Beryl heads toward Jamaica as Category 5 storm