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(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Beryl has been upgraded to a Category 5 and is being described as “potentially catastrophic,” the National Hurricane Center announced Monday night.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to 160 mph, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Hunters.

Beryl is currently moving across the eastern Caribbean Sea after slamming into Carriacou Island in Grenada with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph as a Category 4, leaving at least one person dead, according to officials Monday.

Bequia is the largest island in the Grenadines, approximately nine miles from the nation’s capital, Kingstown, on the main island, Saint Vincent.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says there may be more deaths, but right now, one death has been officially confirmed.

Before making landfall, the storm was gaining strength as it headed toward the Windward Islands, which also include Grenada, St. Vincent, Grenadines and Petite Martinique.

The hurricane has caused extensive damage to schools, homes and buildings, farmlands and properties in the region, officials said Monday.

Communication is down in some parts of the country, so authorities still don’t know the full extent of the damage.

Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines suffered severe damage, with 90% of houses on the island being impacted and the Union Island airport roof being blown away in the storm.

Gonzalves is set to visit the Grenadine Islands on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, Beryl went from a tropical depression to a major Category 4 hurricane in just 48 hours, becoming the earliest Category 4 on record for the Atlantic Basin, breaking the record Hurricane Dennis held from July 7, 2005. Beryl is the first Category 4 ever recorded in the month of June.

The hurricane was downgraded Sunday evening to a Category 3, but picked up power and speed over warm ocean water and was upgraded to Category 4 Monday morning.

Ocean temperatures in the area where Beryl is located are 2 to 3 degrees above normal for this time of the year. Such temperatures are usually not seen until September.

Beryl is moving west at 20 mph. Some fluctuations of strength are expected but Beryl is forecast to remain at major status through the day as it passes the Windward Islands. A life-threatening storm surge is expected to raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds near where the eye makes landfall in the hurricane warning area. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches across Barbados and the Windward Islands through Monday afternoon. The Grenadines and Grenada could see up to 10 inches of rain and may experience flash flooding in vulnerable areas.

Beryl will continue to track toward Jamaica, reaching near the island on Wednesday. Even if Beryl doesn’t make a direct landfall in Jamaica it will be close enough to cause issues.

After that, Beryl will move over the Yucatan Peninsula and then likely into eastern Mexico after another stint in the Gulf.

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(SAO GONCALO DO AMARANTE, Brazil) — Forty people were injured after an Air Europa flight from Spain to Uruguay experienced strong turbulence and was diverted to Brazil, officials said.

Flight UX045 experienced “heavy” turbulence early Monday morning and safely landed at Natal International Airport in São Gonçalo do Amarante, the airline said. The plane requested an emergency landing around 2:32 a.m. local time, according to the airport.

Thirty people received medical care at the airport, while 10 had to be transported to the hospital for further exams, the airport confirmed to ABC News Monday night.

Air Europa said in an earlier statement that seven people suffered injuries of “varying degrees,” and there was an “undetermined number of people with minor contusions.”

“Due to the nature of the turbulence and for safety reasons, it was decided to divert the flight to Natal International Airport in Brazil,” the airline said.

The flight had departed Madrid-Barajas and was en route to Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay, when the incident occurred, according to the airline. Natal was the closest airport to address the passengers’ medical needs, the airline said.

Passenger videos showed damage to the cabin of the plane and injured passengers in neck braces lying on their backs in the aisle. In one video, a man could be seen dangling from an overhead compartment, though it is unclear how he ended up there.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was carrying 325 passengers at the time.

The passengers were being moved to Recife and a plane was scheduled to depart Madrid Monday afternoon to pick them up and continue their trip to Montevideo, Air Europa said.

ABC News’ Aicha El Hammar Castano contributed to this report.

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(ST GEORGE’S, Grenada) — Warmer-than-usual ocean temperatures have allowed for the earliest-ever Category 4 hurricane on record to barrel through the Atlantic Basin, records show.

Hurricane Beryl was a Category 4 storm Monday morning as it approached the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent, Grenadines, Grenada, and Carriacou and Petite Martinique islands – the first-ever hurricane recorded during the month of June.

Sea surface temperatures are at record highs, with temperatures in the Atlantic, where hurricanes form, measuring two or three degrees Celsius higher than normal in the Caribbean Sea, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The current temperatures are typical for September, not for the start of July.

On average, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season tends to form during early to mid-August. The first Category 3 generally doesn’t usually occur until Sept. 1, records show.

The previous record for the earliest Category 4 was held by Hurricane Dennis on July 7, 2005. Considering how warm water temperatures are right now, Hurricane Beryl is the type of outlier that meteorologists expected to see this season, Brian McNoldy, a tropical meteorology researcher at the University of Miami, told ABC News.

Forecasts show another tropical disturbance could be close behind Beryl and could target many of the same parts of the Caribbean.

Hurricane strength is rated according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with Category 1 storms exhibiting maximum sustained winds of 74 to 95 MPH. A Category 5 storm has maximum sustained winds of 157 MPH or higher. As storms increase in strength, some experts are debating whether to add a Category 6 intensity level to the scale.

Oceans are staying warmer for longer periods, potentially extending the hurricane season. Hurricanes can now form earlier in the spring and later in the autumn, increasing the window of time during which these storms can occur and leading some experts to recommend changes to the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Global sea surface temperatures across a majority of the world’s oceans remain at unprecedented levels as marine heatwaves persist around the globe, even with El Niño conditions winding down, according to Copernicus’ ERA5 data record, released last month.

The average daily sea surface temperature for the month of May hit a new all-time high of 69.67 degrees Fahrenheit, setting a monthly new record for the 14th month in a row. The average sea surface temperature for June has not yet been released, but the record-high trend is expected to continue.

The tropical Atlantic has been measuring record-breaking high temperatures for more than a year, McNoldy said.

Since El Niño ended, meteorologists have anticipated an active season because of more heat and less wind shear in the months following El Niño, so even without factoring in greenhouse gas emissions, 2024 would be a busy hurricane season. However, climate scientists agree that human emissions have amplified the behavior of hurricanes.

“We’ve left El Niño, and we’re heading into La Niña, which, in general, that actually helps to enhance Atlantic hurricane activity,” McNoldy said.

Anthropogenic, or human-caused, climate change has led to significant warming of the oceans, which provide the energy hurricanes need to form and intensify. Over 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases has been absorbed by the oceans, creating conditions that can rapidly turn tropical storms into powerful hurricanes. This has resulted in more storms reaching Category 4 or 5 intensities, recent studies have shown.

Hurricanes are now intensifying more quickly, in days or sometimes mere hours, research shows. Tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin may now be more than twice as likely to strengthen from a weak hurricane or tropical storm into a major hurricane in just 24 hours due to climate change and warming waters, according to a paper published in October in Scientific Reports.

Hurricane Beryl had undergone rapid intensification to strengthen into a Category 4 major hurricane on Sunday morning. The storm system then weakened briefly before returning to Category 4 strength on Monday morning. While anthropogenic climate change is not the sole factor for the abrupt jump in marine temperatures in the past year, it is a key ingredient.

“Certainly, climate change is playing a role,” McNoldy said.

Climate change is also impacting the amount of moisture that storm systems can hold and is increasing the frequency of major hurricanes, meaning Category 3 and above, scientists say. The severity of the storm surge that accompanies major storms, as well as the extent of global sea level rise have also been exacerbated by rising temperatures, scientists say,

ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Matthew Glasser contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Beryl regained its Category 4 status as it slammed into Carriacou Island with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.

Beryl made landfall in Carriacou at 11:10 a.m. ET as an “extremely dangerous” storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. The cyclone hit Carriacou with maximum winds that were just 5 mph short of Category 5 status, the most powerful hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Before making landfall, the storm was gaining strength as it headed toward the Windward Islands — which also include Grenada, St. Vincent, Grenadines and Petite Martinique islands. Life-threatening and potentially catastrophic wind, waves and storm surges are expected there. Heavy rain and flooding are also forecast.

Over the weekend, Beryl went from a tropical depression to a major Category 4 hurricane in just 48 hours, becoming the earliest Category 4 on record for the Atlantic Basin, breaking the record Hurricane Dennis held from July 7, 2005. Beryl is the first Category 4 ever recorded in the month of June.

The hurricane was downgraded Sunday evening to a Category 3, but picked up power and speed over warm ocean water and was upgraded to Category 4 Monday morning.

Ocean temperatures in the area where Beryl is located are 2 to 3 degrees above normal for this time of the year. Such temperatures are usually not seen until September.

Beryl is moving west at 20 mph. Some fluctuations of strength are expected but Beryl is forecast to remain at major status through the day as it passes the Windward Islands. A life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds near where the eye makes landfall in the hurricane warning area. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches across Barbados and the Windward Islands through this afternoon. Localized maxima of 10 inches are possible, especially in the Grenadines and Grenada. This rainfall may cause flash flooding in vulnerable areas.

Beryl will continue to track toward Jamaica, reaching near the island on Wednesday. Even if Beryl doesn’t make a direct landfall in Jamaica it will be close enough to cause issues.

After that, Beryl will move over the Yucatan Peninsula and then likely into eastern Mexico after another stint in the Gulf.

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(PARIS) — The Rassemblement National, France’s main far-right party, made significant strides in the country’s first round of snap legislative elections on Sunday.

Together with its allies, it rallied close to 11 million French voters, totaling 33.2% of the vote, bringing it closer to being able to form a government after next week’s second round of voting.

The snap elections were called only three weeks ago after President Emmanuel Macron’s party suffered a resounding defeat in the European elections. His party placed third yesterday with the left-wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire in second place, reaching 28% of the vote.

With this historic result, the Rassemblement National is closer than ever before to power. Jordan Bardella, a 28-year-old rising star in the party, would become prime minister if an “absolute majority” — more than half of the 577 seats — is obtained next Sunday by the RN and its allies.

Marine Le Pen, president of the party and three-time presidential candidate, celebrated this victory by attacking President Macron and speaking of the “willingness to turn the page after 7 years of contemptuous and corrosive power.”

Le Pen took over the RN from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who has multiple convictions for antisemitic and racist hate speech, and the younger Le Pen has spent the last 12 years trying to change the image of her party.

Final results are far from certain, with more than 500 local elections still to be called to know the full makeup of France’s National Assembly, but a RN “absolute majority” would potentially mean drastic changes in France’s international policy, including support to Ukraine.

Prime minister-hopeful Bardella has said he remains “in favor of continuing logistical and defense equipment support to Ukraine” but added that he had two “red lines” that he would not cross: “the sending of French troops to Ukrainian territory” and “the sending of long-range missiles or military equipment […] which could directly strike Russian cities.”

This would stop long-range SCALP missile deliveries to Kyiv as well as put an end to Macron’s promise to send French military instructors to Ukraine. The question remains whether the level of funding for Ukraine would change under an RN government.

Bardella recently said that Russia was a “multidimensional threat to both France and Europe,” trying to distance himself from the party’s historically pro-Russia stance.

Le Pen had in 2017 traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was said to be watching the current parliamentary elections “very closely.”

Because of the two-round voting system and 577 local elections, exact predictions are complicated, with polling agencies giving very rough estimates.

In some local elections, three or four candidates have made it to the second round, which means the left-wing coalition is now pulling out candidates who arrived in third place, in order to block seats for the far-right.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of radical left La France Insoumise, called on candidates to withdraw if needed: “Not one vote, not one seat more for the RN.”

Although a clear idea of whether or not the RN can form a government will only be known next Sunday, the result has already alarmed many, including minority groups, some of which have said they fear they would be more targeted under a far-right party leading the country.

If the RN fails to obtain an absolute majority, France could face a months-long standstill as no party would be available to successfully vote laws or implement policy. In any case, Macron would remain president until 2027.

Voter turnout soared to a 22-year high on Sunday, with French voters going back to the polls in just six days, for a decisive second round that will shape the country’s future.

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(SEOUL, South Korea) — North Korea test-launched on Monday two ballistic missiles, one of which may have failed and fallen to the ground before reaching the sea, according to South Korea’s military and media.

“We strongly condemn North Korea’s missile launch as a clear provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The tests were detected at 5:05 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., the South Korean military said. South Korean officials shared the launch data in real-time with the United States and Japan, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.

The latest provocation from North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, followed last week’s joint military exercises by the U.S., Japan and South Korea. Those exercises were a sign that the security cooperation in the region “has never been stronger,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Friday.

The U.S. military condemned Monday’s launches, calling on North Korea to put an end to its “unlawful and destabilizing acts.”

“While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we continue to monitor the situation,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. “The U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad.”

The first of Monday’s ballistic missile tests flew about 600 km, or about 373 miles, and landed off Chongjin, North Korea, in the Sea of Japan, the South Korean military said.

The other missile appeared to have flown only about 120 km, or about 75 miles, the military told the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

“It is difficult to know exactly where the short-range missile hit, and we believe it may have gone toward Pyongyang,” a South Korean military official said, according to Yonhap.

ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Beryl was on Monday moving westward south of Barbados, approaching the nearby Windward Islands as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.

The storm was headed for St. Vincent, Grenadines, Grenada, and Carriacou and Petite Martinique islands. Life-threatening and potentially catastrophic wind, waves and storm surge are expected there. Heavy rain and flooding are also expected.

Beryl over the weekend went from a tropical depression to a major Category 4 hurricane in just 48 hours, becoming the earliest Category 4 on record for the Atlantic Basin breaking the record Hurricane Dennis held from July 7, 2005. Beryl is the first Category 4 ever recorded in the month of June.

Beryl is moving west at 20 mph. Some fluctuations of strength are expected but Beryl is forecast to remain at major status through the day as it passes the Windward Islands. A life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds near where the eye makes landfall in the hurricane warning area. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches across Barbados and the Windward Islands through this afternoon. Localized maxima of 10 inches are possible, especially in the Grenadines and Grenada. This rainfall may cause flash flooding in vulnerable areas.

Beryl will continue to track toward Jamaica, reaching near the island on Wednesday. Even if Beryl doesn’t make a direct landfall in Jamaica it will be close enough to cause issues.

After that, Beryl will move over the Yucatan Peninsula and then likely into eastern Mexico after another stint in the Gulf.

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(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, negotiations have stalled to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, and Israeli forces continue to launch incursions in the southern Gazan town of Rafah ahead of a possible large-scale invasion.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jun 29, 3:44 PM
Hostage speaks 1st time since release

Noa Argamani, one of four hostages rescued during a deadly IDF raid on June 8, released a video thanking Israeli forces for rescuing her and calls for the release of the remaining hostages, including her boyfriend, in her first public remarks since she was released.

They were separated during the kidnapping, according to Argamani.

“I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there are still 120 hostages in Hamas captivity. Among them is Avinatan Or, my partner, from whom I was separated at the moment of abduction. Although I’m home now, we can’t forget about the hostages who are still in Hamas captivity, and we must do everything possible to bring them back home,” Argamani said.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule

Jun 28, 2:31 PM
Military pier in Gaza to be taken offline again: US official

The U.S. military pier in Gaza will be taken offline again on Friday and moved to the Israeli port of Ashdod due to high seas, according to a U.S. official.

This is a precautionary move to protect the pier from breaking due to rough waves, the official said.

This is the third time the pier has had to be moved to Ashdod because of weather. The pier has been operational only about half of the time since it opened in mid-May.

“I don’t have a date of when the pier would be reinstalled,” Defense Department deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday, noting that Centcom will assess the sea conditions over the weekend.

As the pier was moved away Friday, two U.S. officials told ABC News that officials are considering not re-installing the pier until the humanitarian aid that it brought to Gaza gets distributed. More than 19 million pounds of aid has been delivered to Gaza via the pier but it’s now piling up at the staging point at the edge of the pier, Singh said.

Inspectors General at the Pentagon and the U.S. Agency for International Development announced Thursday that they’re launching reviews of the mission to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza via the military’s temporary pier system.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Luis Martinez

Jun 28, 11:31 AM
Israel, US discussing transfer of Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine

Israel and the U.S. are discussing the transfer of Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News.

This agreement — not yet finalized, according to the source — would mark a shift in Israel’s public policy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A key factor behind Israel’s willingness to discuss the transfer of Patriot air defense batteries is the tightening military alliance between Russia and Iran.

In April, Israel announced the decommissioning of U.S.-donated Patriot systems from its aerial defense array. Security sources previously said Patriot has been successfully replaced by the Israeli-made David’s Sling air and missile defense system.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir

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(LONDON) — Several U.S. military bases across Europe are now operating under a heightened state of alert, ABC News has confirmed.

The alert level of Force Protection Condition (FPCON) “Charlie” was put in place over the weekend, according to two U.S. officials.

According to the U.S. Army, Charlie is the second highest state of alert that “applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely.”

In a statement provided to reporters, U.S. European Command said it’s “constantly assessing a variety of factors” on security and safety.

“For operational security reasons, we will not get into specific measures, but we remain vigilant,” EUCOM wrote, in part.

The development was first reported by Stars and Stripes, an independent military publication.

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(BRIDGETOWN, Barbados) — Hurricane Beryl picked up power and speed on Sunday as it churned in the Caribbean and was upgraded to a major Category 4 storm, the first hurricane on record to reach major status east of the Lesser Antilles in the month of June.

The rapidly developing storm is now the earliest Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic on record. Before Sunday, Hurricane Dennis, which became a Category 4 Atlantic storm on July 7, 2005, held the record.

On average, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season forms the second week of August. Beryl was the earliest Category 3 storm in the Atlantic since 1966.

A major hurricane is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.

Beryl was a few hundred miles east of the Windward Islands on Sunday and was moving west over open waters.

By Monday morning, the hurricane’s eye is forecast to track just south of Barbados with 130 mph winds and produce 3 to 6 inches of rain across the region Sunday night and Monday. A storm surge of 6 to 9 feet is expected for Barbados.

From Barbados, the hurricane is expected to sweep across the Westward Islands with life-threatening conditions and head toward Jamaica, possibly reaching the island on Wednesday. The storm’s path on Sunday was shifting slightly south, and it’s too early to know if it will make direct landfall in Jamaica.

Right behind Beryl, there is another weather system that could become a tropical cyclone, as well, and may end up hitting Barbados on the same day Beryl is expected to bear down on Jamaica.

While it’s too soon to know with confidence, Beryl, or remnants of the storm, could reach southern Texas by next weekend, bringing heavy rain to the area. The alternative scenario is the storm remains wholly over Mexico.

In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its highest-on-record hurricane forecast for this Atlantic hurricane season. All categories of storms are expected to exceed the typical number seen every year, National Weather Service forecasters said at the time.

NOAA scientists predicted between 17 and 25 named storms this season, compared to an average of 14; between eight and 13 hurricanes, compared to an average of seven; and between four and seven major hurricanes, compared to an average of three.

Multiple officials, including National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan and National Weather Service Director Ken Graham, described the 2024 Hurricane Outlook as the “highest” forecast ever issued in May.

Climate change is likely having a significant impact on the Atlantic hurricane season, according to researchers.

Warming of the surface ocean temperatures from human-induced climate change is likely fueling more powerful tropical cyclones with more extreme precipitation, scientists say.

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