Hurricane Beryl hits Category 5: Where it is, path, and everything else to know

The first hurricane of the 2024 season formed in the Atlantic Ocean over the weekend and made landfall Monday before strengthening into a Category 5 hurricane later in the day. Will it impact Tennessee?

Hurricane Beryl became the first storm of the season and astounded scientists with how quickly it became a Category 4 hurricane over the weekend. Within 24 hours after forming as a tropical depression on Friday evening, Beryl's winds reached hurricane strength – 75 mph – by 5 p.m. Saturday. By Monday morning, Beryl's windspeed was projected to hit 115 mph, according to projections from the National Hurricane Center forecast. Beryl took those predictions up a notch.

By Sunday morning, the hurricane's winds reached 130 mph becoming a Category 4. By late Monday, Hurricane Beryl’s escalated to Category 5 – with sustained winds of 165 mph and higher gusts. Becoming the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin and only the second to occur in July, according to USA TODAY reports. And it isn't expected to weaken as it continues its westward path this week.

The hurricane is expected to continue through the Caribbean through the week before hitting another body of water historically warm for this early in the summer. The hurricane center expects it to remain a hurricane as it reaches Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Friday.

Here's what it could mean for us in Tennessee.

Will Hurricane Beryl impact Tennessee's weather?

If Beryl keeps on its predicted path, Tennessee, along with the rest of the U.S., should be clear of any major impacts from the storm, according to AccuWeather hurricane experts. But weather experts caution people to keep an eye on Beryl as it continues to move.

"The most likely scenario is for the storm to move westward into Mexico," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva said in a USA TODAY interview. "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."

As Beryl strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane, the Gulf Coast was told to keep a close eye on the storm.

Hurricane Beryl spaghetti models

What is the path of Hurricane Beryl

What was the last hurricane to affect Tennessee?

Tennessee doesn't always feel the brunt of hurricane season, but in 2021 Hurricane Ida made her presence known.

The residual rain from what was Hurricane Ida dumped inches of rain in Tennessee just as Bonnaroo was getting started. Rain flooded camping areas and The Farm became more of a mud pit forcing organizers to shut down due to the conditions.

When did Hurricane Beryl make landfall?

Beryl swept into Grenada's Carriacou Island on Monday, roaring through the Windward Islands hours as a fierce Category 4 storm driving devastating sustained winds of 150 mph, according to reports from USA TODAY.

Photos: Hurricane Beryl

Here's a look at the impact Beryl has already had in the Caribbean.

How quickly did Hurricane Beryl become a Category 4 hurricane?

Between Friday evening and Sunday morning, Beryl went from a tropical storm to a potentially dangerous Category 4 hurricane gaining 95 mph in just 42.5 hours.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Will Hurricane Beryl impact Tennessee? Here's the expected path