As it moved closer to Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula on Thursday, Hurricane Beryl grew again to a Category 3 storm, bringing with it up to five feet of storm surge and destructive winds, according to forecasters.
Nine fatalities have already been attributed to the hurricane in Venezuela, Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, two Windward Island states. Numerous homes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada suffered significant damage as a result, according to local officials.
There was a hurricane warning in effect for the Yucatán Peninsula, and hurricane-force winds were predicted to arrive overnight and continue into Friday.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, declared that landfall is expected in Tulum and encouraged residents to seek refuge elsewhere or on higher ground.
“Don’t hesitate; material possessions can be retrieved. Life is what matters most,” he stated on X on Thursday night.
By 10 p.m., the storm had risen back to a Category 3 after weakening to a Category 2 on Thursday. Its maximum sustained winds had reached 115 mph.
According to the hurricane center, the Yucatán Peninsula coast of Mexico, including the island of Cozumel, was under hurricane warnings from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancún.
Although Friday AM is the anticipated time of landfall, forecasters warned that the peninsula will be battered by strong winds and waves from the massive storm before then.
Once it makes landfall, the storm is predicted to weaken. On Friday night, it is predicted to move out into the Gulf of Mexico before regaining some intensity. The National Hurricane Center predicts that it will next move into southern Texas or northeastern Mexico.
Beryl broke records with her strength and formation. According to scientists, as sea surface temperatures rise due to climate change, the process of rapid intensification is occurring more frequently.
At the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, it was the first-ever Category 4 hurricane to form in June. Hurricane Dennis was the earliest to form, occurring on July 8, 2005, ahead of Hurricane Beryl.
This week, Beryl developed into a Category 5 hurricane with gusts as high as 165 mph, making it the biggest hurricane to hit the record in July.