Hurricane Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to the Windward Islands, the southern part of the Lesser Antilles island group in the Caribbean Sea, early Monday.

       As of 8 a.m. Monday, Beryl was once again a Category 4 hurricane, with winds near 130 mph. It was located 70 miles east of Granada, and moving west-northwest at 20 mph.

       Storm surges could reach 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels near where Beryl makes landfall with sizable and destructive waves along the coast. Expected rainfall totals are 3 to 6 inches across Barbados and the Windward Islands through Monday, which could cause flooding in vulnerable areas.

       Beryl is the first hurricane of the season and one of the few storms in history to have formed in the region this early in the year, according to the National Hurricane Center.

       Hurricane season historically peaks around mid-September, and this season could be the worst in decades, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. Government meteorologists predict 17 to 25 tropical storms this year, including four to seven that could become major hurricanes.