T20 World Cup 2024 title victory celebrations are on hold for Team India. Fresh off their T20 World Cup 2024 title triumph against South Africa, Rohit Sharma's team is currently stranded in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl. This life-threatening hurricane is only intensifying and barreling towards the southeastern Caribbean islands. Beryl's impact is already being felt, with the storm disrupting flights in Barbados, the very island where India clinched their historic win last Saturday. The Grantley Adams International Airport has been forced to close, delaying the team's departure.
Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, initially made landfall on the island of Carriacou. Hurricane warnings are now in effect for Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, and St. Vincent. The storm has intensified to a Category 4 hurricane, with wind speeds reaching 130 miles per hour.
Hurricane Beryl intensifying, Posing Imminent Threat
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center, Larry Kelly and John Cangialosi, issued a stark warning in their latest advisory. They described Hurricane Beryl as ‘extremely dangerous’ and a ‘life-threatening situation’.
“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. Take action now to protect your life!,” the center was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
According to Alex DaSilva, the lead hurricane forecaster at AccuWeather Inc, there has never been a Category 4 hurricane in the past.
With the World Cup trophy in hand, the Indian cricket team awaited their return trip alongside BCCI secretary Jay Shah. The BCCI was looking to arrange a special chartered flight for the team.
"Like you people, we are also stuck here. First, we need to see how to get the players and everyone out of here safely, and then we will think about the felicitation upon arrival in India," the BCCI secretary told PTI.
Reports say that a chartered flight booked for Monday to bring back India's cricket champions and BCCI officials was grounded due to the airport closure caused by the hurricane. The BCCI is also working on evacuating Indian media personnel from the affected area.
The Atlantic hurricane season got an unusually strong start with Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 4 storm on record. Packing winds exceeding 130 mph (209 km/h), Beryl is currently churning through the Windward Islands, a chain of Caribbean islands including Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago. While a direct hit isn't expected, the islands are bracing for significant impact. Residents face the threat of violent winds and flash flooding. The National Hurricane Center has issued life-threatening warnings for wind and storm surge starting Monday morning. Warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Tobago. Residents in Dominica, Trinidad, parts of the Dominican Republic, and Haiti should be prepared for potential tropical storm conditions.
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