Caribbean on alert as Beryl set to become major hurricane

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Beryl -- currently situated in the Atlantic Ocean about 785 miles (1260 kilometers) southeast of Barbados -- would become a "dangerous major hurricane" by the time it reached the Windward Islands late Sunday into Monday. Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada all had hurricane watches in place, the NHC said. A major hurricane is considered a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds of at least 111 miles per hour.