Hurricane Beryl has strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane after devastating the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. Grenada’s prime minister said the small island of Carriacou had been “flattened” by the immense storm. A quarter of Barbados residents were left without power. Meanwhile, at least two people were killed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said 90% of houses on Union Island were severely damaged or destroyed. Forecasters warn Beryl is likely to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane as it threatens Jamaica and the Cayman Islands ahead of a possible landfall in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It’s by far the earliest Category 5 storm ever observed in the Atlantic and comes as climate scientists predict an “extremely active” 2024 hurricane season.