Hurricane experts and meteorologists watched in shock Saturday as Tropical Storm Beryl continued to strengthen quickly in the tropical Atlantic Ocean far earlier than storms typically do, with record-warm ocean temperatures helping it make history.
Within 24 hours after forming as a tropical depression, Beryl's winds had reached hurricane strength – 75 mph – by 5 p.m. Saturday, with an impressive form on satellite images.
The National Hurricane Center forecast projected Saturday afternoon that favorable conditions will help Beryl rapidly intensify to a major hurricane – with wind speeds up to 115 mph – as it reaches Barbados and the fringe of islands that border the eastern Caribbean by Monday morning.