Beryl weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Friday as a strong Category 2 hurricane, but may strengthen again as it moves toward Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The Yucatan State Civil Defense confirmed the storm had developed north of Tulum at 7:05 a.m. ET with sustained winds of 108 mph and gusts of 136 mph. Forecasters said the storm was The area could experience damaging winds, a storm surge of up to three feet, and life-threatening rough seas and rip currents.
Beryl weakened as it moved across the Northern Hemisphere on Friday afternoon. Yucatan Peninsula. The storm is expected to weaken as it continues across the peninsula, but the National Hurricane Center said Beryl could “regain hurricane status” as its center moves back into the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.
The center of the storm is expected to move into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday evening and approach the western Gulf of Mexico late Sunday.
The storm remains north of its predicted path, increasing the likelihood of it making landfall in Texas.
A hurricane watch and storm surge watch have been issued for the Texas coast “from the mouth of the Rio Grande north to Sargent,” according to a Friday afternoon update from the National Hurricane Center. A hurricane watch has also been issued for northeastern Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
The hurricane has already killed nine people in Venezuela, Jamaica and the Windward Islands of Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where officials said it caused extensive damage to many homes.
As of 3 a.m. ET, Beryl was located 77 miles west of the Yucatan Peninsula, according to the Yucatan state civil defense office. By 5 p.m. As of 11:00 p.m. ET, the hurricane was located 35 miles east-southeast of Progreso on the north coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center. Beryl is moving west. 15 miles per hour.
Photos shared by Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama showed downed power lines, trees and flooding in nearby parts of the state. In a post on X, Lezama said businesses were continuing to reopen in the wake of Beryl, “mainly in the most affected areas.”
Up to 10 inches of rain is expected, with flash flooding possible on the peninsula. Parts of northeastern Mexico and south Texas could get about 4 to 8 inches or more of rain from Sunday through next week, according to the hurricane center.
“There is an increased risk of strong winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall in parts of northeastern Mexico and south Texas later this weekend,” the center said.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said landfall was expected in Tulum and urged residents to seek higher ground or seek refuge elsewhere.
“Don’t hesitate, we can take back our material things. What’s most important is our lives,” he said on X on Thursday night.
The city of Corpus Christi, Texas, distributed 10,000 sandbags to residents in preparation for Beryl.
The formation and strength of beryl broke records, and scientists say the process of rapid strengthening is becoming more common as ocean temperatures rise due to climate change.
It was the first Category 4 hurricane on record to form in June and the earliest Category 4 storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Before Beryl, Hurricane Dennis had been the earliest, forming on July 8, 2005.
This week, Beryl strengthened into a Category 5 storm with maximum winds of 165 mph, making it the strongest hurricane recorded in July.
The storm weakened to a Category 2 on Thursday, but then reintensified to a Category 3. It weakened again to a Category 2 by early Friday morning.
American tourists in Mexico hunkered down and hoped the storm would not cause as much damage as expected, while flights to and from the region were canceled.
Stay and Wallace Hall, of Fort Worth, Texas, are staying at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, 40 miles north of Tulum.
“The winds are starting to pick up a little bit,” Stay Hall told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth on Thursday. “They’re starting to take down some of the light poles, they’re starting to take down some of the cabanas off the beach.”
Anita Lewis, a tourist from Dallas, Texas, told Reuters: “We’re worried about the hurricane, not just for us, but for everyone who’s traveling. We just want to get home safely and pray for everyone else, but we’re just stranded here.”
Anyone staying at the resort hoping for a hard drink to calm their nerves as Beryl passes overhead may be disappointed: the Halls said the hotel has stopped serving alcohol at the behest of the Mexican government.
“I just need to understand that I have no control,” Stay Hall said. “I’m going to go into prayer mode. We’re going to go to the buffet, get some snacks and fruit, play some games and pretend nothing’s happening.”
