KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Meteorological Service of Jamaica says Hurricane Beryl has been downgraded from a category 5 to a category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.
It revealed in its update at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, noting that the storm is expected to weaken even further as it barrels towards Jamaica.
Though the hurricane has slightly lost intensity, the catastrophic system is still powering its way through the Caribbean and is expected to land in southern Jamaica on Wednesday.
Initial forecasts had shown the centre of the hurricane passing south of the island, however, official forecasts from the National Hurricane Center now show the hurricane’s centre making landfall.
According to the Met Service’s latest bulletin, Hurricane Beryl was located 780 kilometres (485 miles) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. The current path of the system increases the chances of the eye of the hurricane passing over southern sections of the island.
The strongest winds of a hurricane are located in the eye of the storm.