Mexico City
Hurricane Beryl has intensified back to a Category 3 storm and is now heading towards Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, a popular tourist area in the country, following its destructive path across the eastern Caribbean.
According to the US National Hurricane Center’s advisory on Thursday night, data from Air Force reconnaissance aircraft show that Beryl’s maximum winds have reached 115 mph (185 km/h). Earlier in the day, it had been downgraded to a Category 2 storm, as reported by source.
The hurricane is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds to the Yucatan Peninsula, which includes renowned sites like the Mayan pyramids and resorts. It is projected to regain strength in the Gulf of Mexico before potentially making a second landfall in Mexico.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has urged residents to relocate to higher ground, shelters, or the homes of relatives in safer areas. He highlighted the importance of prioritizing life over property, particularly mentioning the town of Tulum on Mexico’s Caribbean coast as a probable point of entry for the hurricane.
Hurricane Beryl has already caused fatalities in the Caribbean, with three reported deaths in Grenada and additional casualties in Venezuela, where two people have died and five remain missing. The storm has affected approximately 25,000 individuals in Venezuela alone.
