Hurricane Beryl breaks records in devastating path across the Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl has been declared the strongest-ever hurricane in July, breaking the latest in a series of records as it causes widespread destruction in the Caribbean.

The tropical cyclone has set numerous records that experts say are tied to climate change, as it developed faster and much earlier in the year than similar phenomena. It is the strongest hurricane on record for both June and July and saw the most rapid intensification of any hurricane before Sept. 1 — typically the more intense period of the Atlantic season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

On Monday, Beryl was declared a Category 5 hurricane — the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, declared when winds reach 157 miles per hour, according to a webpage from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.

Scientists have for years warned that global warming will cause hurricanes to intensify more rapidly due to warmer waters, giving people less time to brace for their impact.

The NOAA previously forecast an 85% chance of an "above-normal" 2024 hurricane season in the Atlantic. It forecast that between 17 and 25 named storms will be observed during the period, versus an average of 14, along with eight to 13 hurricanes, above a typical average of seven. Four to seven of these are projected as likely to develop into major hurricanes, compared with an average of three.

That is in part due to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, a long-observed climate pattern that generally strengthens hurricane activity in either the Pacific or the Atlantic due to water temperatures. Meteorologists forecast a La Niña phase, marked by factors including cooler ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific, to develop between July and September.

Beyond that,