&sq=&lang=&file=File:Beryl_2018-07-06_1350Z.jpg) Beryl near peak intensity well to the east of the Lesser Antilles on July 6 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 4, 2018 |
| Remnant low | July 15, 2018 |
| Dissipated | July 17, 2018 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 991 mbar (hPa); 29.26 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | >$1 million (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Lesser Antilles, United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Lucayan Archipelago, Bermuda, Atlantic Canada |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Beryl was a fast-moving and long-lived tropical cyclone. The second named storm and first hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Beryl formed in the Main Development Region from a vigorous tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on July 1. The wave quickly organized into a tropical depression over the central Atlantic Ocean on July 4. Rapid intensification took place and the depression quickly became a tropical storm at 00:00 UTC the next day. Just less than 15 hours later, on July 6, Beryl strengthened into the first hurricane of the season, reaching its peak intensity on July 6. Increasingly unfavorable conditions caused a rapid deterioration of the cyclone shortly after its peak, with Beryl falling to tropical storm status on the next day, as it began to accelerate towards the Caribbean. Late on July 8, it degenerated into a tropical wave shortly before reaching the Lesser Antilles. The remnants were monitored for several days, although they failed to organize significantly until July 14, when it regenerated into a subtropical storm, six days after it lost tropical characteristics. However, the newly reformed storm quickly lost convection, and it degenerated into a remnant low early on July 16, while situated over the Gulf Stream. Beryl subsequently dissipated on the next day.
Many places in Beryl's track were still recovering from hurricanes Irma and Maria, which hit the Eastern Caribbean in September 2017; structures were left deficient to strong winds. Beryl prompted multiple islands in the Lesser Antilles to issue warnings and watches, including a hurricane watch as it was initially expected to pass through the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe as a hurricane. The storm weakened faster than expected and Beryl degenerated into a tropical wave before it reached the islands, though minimal effects were still felt across the eastern Caribbean. Beryl's remnants caused flash flooding and landslides across the island of Puerto Rico, and several people were trapped in their houses by floodwaters; approximately 47,000 lost power on the island. In the Dominican Republic, 9 in (230 mm) of rain caused rivers to overflow, and more than 130,000 customers lost power. Minor impacts were reported in the Lucayan Archipelago, Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada. Overall damage was estimated to be in the millions, and no fatalities were reported.