Hurricane Beryl is currently impacting Jamaica with life-threatening storm conditions, including 145mph winds and heavy rain, potentially raising coastal levels by 9 feet. This Category 4 hurricane has already resulted in at least seven fatalities and significant infrastructure damage in Portland, Jamaica, prompting officials to declare a disaster area and impose a curfew on Wednesday.

More than 900 shelters have been set up across Jamaica as evacuation processes for vulnerable areas are underway, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon stated. The storm is expected to approach the Cayman Islands tonight, then move toward the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Previously, Beryl intensified into the earliest Category 5 hurricane recorded in the Atlantic before downgrading to a Category 4 on Tuesday. The National Weather Service has forecasted that Beryl, although expected to weaken, might still affect southern Texas and Louisiana over the weekend.

Grenada experienced severe destruction with 98% of buildings damaged. Relief efforts from the United Nations and various organizations are mobilizing in response to extensive damages across the Caribbean.