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Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is bracing for Hurricane Beryl, now a Category 2 storm, to make landfall early Friday morning with 110mph winds and dangerous storm surge.
The region will see life-threatening winds, up to five feet of storm surge and up to ten inches of rainfall, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said on Thursday afternoon.
Hurricane Beryl will then bring dangerous rip currents to the Gulf Coast over the weekend before likely hitting southern Texas Monday, the National Weather Service forecast.
“Just a reminder for people, especially in South Texas, to continue to check back for updates to the forecast,” Brennan said.
Hurricane Beryl has killed at least ten people, Reuters reports. Two of those killed — the first in St George’s, Grenada and the second in Hanover, Jamaica — died after hurricane-force winds knocked trees onto their homes.
Hurricane Beryl devastated Jamaica on Wednesday, knocking out power to 400,000 and destroying buildings. While the storm is moving away, rainfall and flash-flooding still pose a risk to the island.
Grenada was also left with “unimaginable” destruction after the storm passed through Monday, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said, damaging or destroying 98 percent of buildings.
Hurricane Beryl and the role of climate change
Record-breaking hurricanes like Beryl — the earliest recorded Category 5 storm — are being driven in part by the climate crisis.
“It’s really scary stuff,” Steve Maximay, a climate and agriculture expert in Grenada, previously told The Independent.
”When you talk about Category 4 and 5, there are very few systems or protocols that can prepare you for that,” Maximay continued. “You can have resilient buildings but category five winds can move concrete structures.”
Hurricane Beryl’s growth into a Category 5 storm can be attributed to record-warm ocean temperatures. High water temperatures can contribute to sea level rise and hurt marine life in addition to fueling strong storms like Hurricane Beryl. Ocean temperatures will likely continue to rise even if we curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to NOAA.
Island nations are at the front lines of the climate crisis, given their vulnerability to violent storms and sea-level rise.
The Alliance of Small Island States, an organization designed to create a unified voice for small island nations to address the ongoing climate crisis, denounced the climate crisis and its impact on island nations.
“We continue to be sacrificed on the frontlines of a climate crisis we did not cause,” the statement said. “Our sea temperatures grow warmer, encouraging storms to strengthen at alarming speed and increasing the dire threat to our developing countries. The increased danger is evident for the world to see.”
“If the world does not stand with [Small Island Developing States] now, it is only a matter of time before we are all lost,” the alliance continued.
Sophie Powell, chief of advocacy for the United Kingdom-based non-profit Christian Aid, highlighted the role the climate crisis has played in Hurricane Beryl’s devastation.
“The people picking through the wreckage of such a devastating storm have done nothing to cause the climate crisis,” Powell said in a statement. “The carbon emissions of these small, low-lying islands are miniscule yet the consequences to their lives of climate breakdown are vast.”
Googlebox stars stuck in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl makes landfall: ‘I want to get out’
Googlebox favorites Julie and Tom Malone have revealed they are stuck in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl makes landfall.
The Channel 4 couple had oped for some sun and relaxation after jetting off to Jamaica for their summer holiday, but have instead got caught up in the Category 4 hurricane.
Beryl hit Jamaica earlier this week, with life-threatening rain, 145mph winds and storm surge, with the storm knocking down power lines in Portland.
Watch here:
Googlebox stars stuck in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl strikes: ‘I want to get out’
Googlebox favourites Julie and Tom Malone have revealed they are stuck in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl makes landfall. The Channel 4 couple had oped for some sun and relaxation after jetting off to Jamaica for their summer holiday, but have instead got caught up in the Category 4 hurricane. Beryl hit Jamaica earlier this week, with life-threatening rain, 145mph winds and storm surge, with the storm knocking down power lines in Portland. Posting a video update on Instagram on Wednesday (3 July), the couple told fans they have been told to stay indoors and not go out. Mr Malone then declares: “I want to get out”. The couple then also posted some more videos showing the stormy conditions.
United Nations dedicates $4 million to aid for Jamaica, eastern Caribbean
The United Nations will put $4 million towards aid efforts in Jamaica, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, the BBC reports.
Earlier this week, the UN said officials in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are working closely with local leaders to help with recovery efforts.
“To date, Grenada and St Vincent’s and the Grenadines have reported hundreds of people in shelters,” a UN spokesperson said.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked for the international community to “show solidarity” with all the Caribbean countries in Hurricane Beryl’s path, the spokesperson said.
ICYMI: Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Beryl slamming into Jamaica
Bird’s eye view: Hurricane Beryl pictured from International Space Station
ICYMI: Mexico evacuates sea turtle eggs from beaches ahead of Beryl
Mexican officials evacuated sea turtle eggs from beaches ahead of Hurricane Beryl, the Associated Press reports.
For some eggs, experts transferred them to safer areas. In other cases, they created corrals with sandbags to keep the eggs safe where they were laid, the outlet reports.
“Look, it’s not the best thing to do, but we are facing an emergency in which if they don’t take them out, they all could be lost,” biologist Graciela Tiburcio told the AP.
“In a normal situation this would not be right, because this will surely cause mortality,” Tiburcio continued. “There will be a lower rate of hatched eggs, that is the reality. But it’s also a reality that if the nests are left there, they’ll all be lost.”
Video: When will Hurricane Beryl hit Texas?
Hurricane Beryl could bring significant rainfall to Texas: meteorologist
AccuWeather Meteorologist Geoff Cornish says Hurricane Beryl could bring four to eight inches of rain to Brownsville, Texas if it hits the region early next week.
“San Antonio and Austin will likely see several inches of rain from Beryl as well,” Cornish said on Thursday.
AccuWeather’s Paul Pastelok warns the storm could stall in the Gulf Coast, driving longer storm conditions.
“There is a chance that this storm may stall once it gets onshore in northern Mexico and southern Texas, which could lead to more rainfall and flooding concerns,” Pastelok said. The National Weather Service said Beryl has the potential to hit Texas on Monday into Tuesday.
For now, the Category 2 storm is set to make landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in the coming hours.
In pictures: Mexico braces for Hurricane Beryl
Hurricane Beryl no longer a ‘major’ hurricane
Hurricane Beryl weakened to a Category 2 storm this afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 110mph.
This means the storm is no longer a “major hurricane,” which is defined as Category 3 and above.
However, it will still bring life-threatening storm conditions to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula — including several popular tourist destinations along the coast — in the coming hours.
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2024-07-05 07:00:00Z
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