MIAMI (AP) — Beryl has become a hurricane with winds of 75 mph, the first of the 2018 hurricane season.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami say the storm's winds had strengthened to 75 mph (65 kph) by Friday morning. Some additional strengthening is forecast Friday.
Beryl is moving west at 14 mph. The center of Beryl will remain east of the Lesser Antilles through early Sunday.
Beryl is forecast to quickly weaken by late Saturday and become a tropical storm or degenerate into a strong open trough near the Lesser Antilles late Sunday or Monday.
Beryl is a very compact hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles.
Subtropical Storm Alberto became the first named storm of the 2018 season. It formed in May, just before the June 1 start of hurricane season. It dumped heavy rain on the southeastern United States.
