Storm Beryl

98 percent of Grenada's buildings damaged by Beryl

Hurricane Beryl has caused complete devastation on the Caribbean island group of Grenada, with 6,000 inhabitants, the New York Times reports.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell describes the destruction as "total" and "unimaginable". 98 percent of the archipelago's buildings are damaged or destroyed, and on the second largest island, Carriacou, no vegetation remains.

- We have to build everything from scratch, says Mitchell.

None of the islands have electricity anymore, the crops have been destroyed, and fallen trees and power poles lie across the roads. Many have also become homeless. So far, three deaths have been reported.

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Jamaica prepares for deadly Hurricane Beryl

Residents of Jamaica are rushing to prepare for Hurricane Beryl, which has killed at least seven people as it barreled through Grenada, Venezuela and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the AP reports.

In the capital Kingston, residents nail their windows, pull boats out of the sea and put down advertising signs by the roads.

Life-threatening storm surges and floods are expected to hit the island on Wednesday. The US Hurricane Center says it is very concerned about Jamaica as the island appears to be in the path of a Category 4 hurricane.

- I urge all Jamaicans to see the hurricane as a serious threat. However, it is not time to panic, says Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness in a speech to the nation.

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Unusually high temperatures in the ocean drive the hurricane

Hurricane Beryl is the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in nearly 100 years, the BBC reports.

Unusually high sea temperatures for the time of year are seen as a key factor. Typically, hurricanes this strong don't occur until later in the hurricane season.

- We know that when we heat up the planet, we also heat up the sea surface. These warm ocean waters are a driving factor in hurricanes, says Andra Garner, assistant professor at Rowan University in the US.

As global warming increases, more and more hurricanes are expected to reach the highest possible strength.