Hurricane Beryl became the Atlantic’s earliest Category 5 storm on record, forming two months before peak hurricane season. This unusual early intensification was due to Caribbean waters being as warm as they typically are in mid-September. Beryl’s development signals a historically stormy year, influenced by prolonged Atlantic warmth and climate change. The storm heightened urgency among U.S. officials and spurred calls for climate action in the Caribbean. Human activities and the El Niño climate pattern have significantly warmed the planet and oceans, contributing to Beryl’s extraordinary formation.