Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, has delayed the return of the victorious Indian team to the country. According to reports, the storm had intensified with maximum sustained winds of 210 kmph, making air travel extremely unsafe. While the Indian team was scheduled to return by Tuesday, their return will now be delayed by at least a day.
“The team was supposed to fly from here (Bridgetown) to New York and then reach India via Dubai. But now the plan is to take a charter flight from here directly to Delhi. A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also being considered,” a source told PTI.
The Indian contingent, including support staff, families and officials, has around 70 members. Tropical storm-force winds are expected to reach North America’s Windward Islands late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
The timing of the first hurricane of this season is unusual, as the average date for the first hurricane is August 11, CNN reported. As of 8 a.m. ET (5:30 p.m. IST), Beryl was moving west about 200 miles southeast of Barbados.
“Life-threatening storm surge will cause water levels to rise 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore flow in the hurricane warning area,” the National Hurricane Center said.
India won the T20 World Cup for the second time on Saturday, June 29, beating South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling encounter, ending their 11-year wait for the ICC trophy.
Man of the Match Virat Kohli hit 76 off 59 balls to help India post 176/7 before Hardik Pandya and his bowlers restricted South Africa to 169/8 to lift the trophy.