Hurricane Beryl, now downgraded to a Category 3 storm, is rapidly approaching Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean. The death toll has risen to at least nine people, with widespread damage reported across Jamaica, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where 95% of homes on two islands have been damaged or destroyed.As Beryl approaches Mexico, authorities have taken extensive precautions. The Mexican government has set up emergency shelters, closed schools in the state of Quintana Roo, and deployed military personnel. Some coastal communities have been evacuated, and sea turtle eggs have been moved off beaches threatened by storm surge. Over 380,000 tourists are reportedly stranded in popular vacation spots like Cancun and Tulum, with local authorities issuing evacuation orders for several areas.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects Beryl to make landfall between Thursday night and Friday morning, potentially as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm is then forecast to cross the Yucatan Peninsula, potentially regain strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and make a second landfall near the Texas-Mexico border.Beryl’s unprecedented intensity early in the hurricane season – it was the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean in July – has reignited discussions about climate change. Small island nations in the Caribbean are calling for climate justice, as they are disproportionately affected by the intensifying storms, which are fueled by warming ocean temperatures.
Key points
- Hurricane Beryl, now a Category 3 storm, is approaching Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after causing at least nine deaths in the Caribbean.
- Over 380,000 tourists are stranded in popular Mexican vacation spots, with authorities issuing evacuation orders.
- The storm’s unprecedented intensity in July has reignited discussions about climate change and its impact on small island nations.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported death toll, with some sources citing seven deaths while others report nine.
👾The expected intensity of the storm at landfall varies between sources, with some predicting a Category 2 and others a Category 1 or Category 3 hurricane.
