U.S. Embassy issues travel warning to these Caribbean islands in the path of a ‘devastating’ hurricane

The U.S. is issuing a “travel warning” for Americans traveling to several Caribbean islands this week because they may be hit by a Category 5 hurricane.

The U.S. Embassy warned Americans visiting countries in the path of Hurricane Beryl — Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — to check the weather forecasts and monitor changes in conditions.

“Beryl will likely bring devastating impacts to Jamaica Wednesday,” The Weather Channel said.

Beryl, which became the earliest Category 5 storm to form in the Atlantic Ocean, is a Category 4 storm that is currently churning toward Jamaica, according to The Weather Channel. It is expected to hit the Cayman Islands on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, followed by Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and potentially the western Gulf Coast, from Texas to Mexico, on Sunday or early Monday.

The U.S. Embassy is also urging citizens to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service for Americans traveling or living overseas to register their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

This program allows Americans to receive important information about what is going on in their country for safety reasons, and gives the U.S. Embassy as well as family and friends a way to contact you in case of an emergency.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.