Hurricane Beryl is losing intensity as it approaches the tourist coasts of Mexico, which it is expected to hit during the night of Thursday 4 to Friday 5 July, accompanied by winds of up to 175 km/h, after having earlier successively struck Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
2 min
Beryl is now moving with the force of a Category 2 hurricane towards the Yucatan Peninsula, according to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), based in the United States. UNITED STATESwho considers it as ” dangerous ” Beryl is weakening since in its previous report, the NHC classified the hurricane as a Category 3 with winds of up to 190 km/h. It was once classified as a Category 5, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
It is located a few hundred kilometers off the coast of Tulum, a two-hour drive from Cancun, the region’s two main tourist destinations. Schools have been suspended in the area and reception centers have been set up for both tourists and locals, authorities said, as they also suspended all activity from 4 p.m. Thursday (2300 GMT) in and around Tulum.
In Cancun, panic buying of basic necessities has been recorded in recent days in supermarkets and hotels have protected their windows as a precaution. For now, everything is quiet. “, says Daniel, a taxi driver, noting that tourists have already cancelled their trips.
Read alsoHurricane Beryl hits Jamaica, heads toward Mexico
Two passages in Mexico
Beryl will hit Mexican territory twice, once as a hurricane on the Yucatan Peninsula, then to the northwest after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Mexicoaccording to the government. Preparations are also underway in the northwestern state of Tamaulipas, which borders the United States, the president said. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The first hurricane of the season in the Atlantic, Beryl, unusually powerful and early for the hurricane season, has already caused seven deaths along its path, including three in Venezuela. In the Cayman Islands, the storm caused flash flooding and mudslides in the morning. Jamaicamore than 400,000 people were left without electricity after it passed through on Wednesday and homes were razed.
King Charles III, the head of state in several Caribbean countries, said on Thursday, July 4, ” deeply saddened » by these « terrible destructions “.
Beryl became the earliest hurricane ever recorded by the U.S. weather service. It ravaged several states including Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where ” 90% of homes were washed away ” on Union, one of the islands of the archipelago, declared its Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
Jamaica surveys damage from Hurricane Beryl
It is only since sunrise that Jamaicans have discovered the damage. 6 out of 10 homes spent the night without electricity and communications have been cut. But the utility company has been working for several hours now to restore the networks. Proof that the work is progressing: users of X (ex-Twitter) are once again posting photos and videos. We see roofs torn off by winds that blew at more than 220 km/h, houses gutted, trees uprooted and electric poles downed.
Kingston airport was also hit and remains closed for now. Worse than the wind: torrential rains that fell for more than 12 hours. The floods ravaged St. Elizabeth, in the southwest of the island. This region is also nicknamed “the breadbasket of Jamaica.” The main agricultural organization announces that all crops, including yams and carrots, as well as coffee plantations have suffered heavy damage.