MIAMI _ Beryl, a tiny, hard-to-diagnose tropical storm, rapidly intensified overnight to become the first hurricane of the season Friday, National Hurricane Center forecasters said.
Because it's so small _ winds extend just 35 miles from its center _ forecasters said the storm could continue to morph quickly.
The storm, headed toward the Lesser Antilles, is not expected to have major impacts on land and is still expected to encounter wind shear that should knock it back to a tropical storm or open wave before it reaches the islands. But heavy rain and gusty wind could still hammer parts of the islands.
At 5 a.m., forecasters said sustained winds reached 75 mph, a dramatic increase from Thursday when Beryl intensified to a tropical depression. The storm was located just over 1,100 miles east, southeast of the Lesser Antilles, headed west at 14 mph.
For the next day or so, forecasters say low wind shear will likely allow Beryl to continue strengthening. While they have projected top winds to be 85 mph, forecasters have repeatedly warned that they are far less confidant about forecasting such a small, unpredictable storm.
