Beryl Downgrades To Tropical Storm And Is Expected Pass South Of USVI; Mapp Urges Residents To Take Precautions

Fluctuations in the weather system named Beryl has continued into Saturday afternoon, with the National Hurricane Center’s 2:00 p.m. advisory revealing that the storm had downgraded from hurricane-force winds to tropical storm-force winds at 60 miles per hour.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Dominica; a tropical storm watch is in effect for St. Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy, Saba and St. Eustatius.

In a release issued Saturday afternoon, Governor Kenneth Mapp urged residents to take precaution as Beryl — project by N.H.C. to pass to the south of St. Croix and Puerto Rico Monday — approaches. “Now is not the time to be complacent,” Mr. Mapp said. “I urge all residents and visitors in the Territory to be vigilant as some tropical storm conditions are possible over the next few days. We expect much rain and rough seas so it is important that we put safety first.”

According to Government House, Mr. Mapp met with members of his emergency management team as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials late Friday and early Saturday morning. During the meeting, Mr. Mapp called on Virgin Islanders to be prepared for potentially heavy rainfall, as well as strong winds and possible flooding.

According to N.H.C., at 2:00 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Beryl was located near latitude 12.4 North, longitude 51.9 West. Beryl is moving faster toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h). A west-northwestward motion with an additional increase in forward speed is expected during the next few days. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will approach the Lesser Antilles over the weekend, cross the island chain late Sunday or Monday, and move south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Monday and Monday night.

Maximum sustained winds are estimated to be near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, especially once Beryl reaches the eastern Caribbean Sea on Monday. The system could degenerate into an open trough by the time it reaches the central Caribbean Sea and Hispaniola on Tuesday.

Beryl is a small tropical storm. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1001 mb (29.56 inches).

Beryl is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches through Monday across the southern Leeward and northern Windward Islands. Across the remainder of the Leeward and Windward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches with locally higher amounts are expected.