The Beta Version

SAN ANDRES ISLAND, Colombia (AP) - The storm Beta strengthened as it battered the tiny Caribbean island of Providencia on Saturday, setting a record by becoming the 13th hurricane of this relentless Atlantic season.

Beta lashed the mountainous Manhattan-sized island owned by Colombia with damaging winds, torrential rains and high surf, said the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

``Extensive damage to homes has occurred on the island,'' the hurricane center said. Though the center said all communications to Providencia have been lost, there was intermittent phone service. A total of 25 inches of rain could fall on the island, the hurricane center said.

At 5 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center said Beta was a Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane, which began whipping Providencia on Friday, was expected to move north-northwest and slam into Central America by Sunday as a Category 2 storm. It was not expected to affect the United States.

The hurricane was the 13th this year, more than any Atlantic season on record. This hurricane season has also seen 23 named storms, more than at any point since record-keeping began in 1851. The previous record of 21 was set in 1933. Last week Tropical Storm Alpha formed, the first time a letter from the Greek alphabet has been used because the list of storm names was exhausted.