The UK Government has issued an urgent plea for British nationals to evacuate Jamaica immediately as Hurricane Beryl, a catastrophic Category 5 storm, bears down on the Caribbean island.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has authorised the Foreign Office to deliver stark warnings to the estimated 10,000 British citizens currently in Jamaica, urging them to leave while commercial flights remain available.
Imminent Danger
Jamaica's National Hurricane Centre has confirmed the island is directly in the path of what meteorologists are calling one of the most powerful early-season hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic.
Hurricane Beryl is packing sustained winds of 160mph (257km/h), placing it in the highest category of storm intensity and posing a severe threat to life and property.
Government Response
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has taken the extraordinary step of updating its travel advice, explicitly stating: "If you are in Jamaica, you should leave now."
Officials are working urgently with tour operators and airlines to secure additional evacuation options, though they emphasise that time is rapidly running out before the hurricane makes landfall.
Tourist Dilemma
With thousands of British holidaymakers enjoying summer vacations across Jamaica's popular resorts, the warning has sparked frantic efforts to secure last-minute flights home.
Travel industry sources indicate that major operators are scrambling to rearrange flights and accommodate passengers seeking early returns to the UK.
Regional Impact
Hurricane Beryl has already left a trail of destruction across several eastern Caribbean islands, with reports of widespread damage to infrastructure and homes.
Meteorological experts express particular concern about the storm's unprecedented strength so early in the hurricane season, raising alarms about what the coming months may bring.
The Foreign Office continues to monitor the situation closely and advises all British nationals in the region to follow local authority instructions and prepare for potentially days of disruption following the storm's passage.
