Barbados "Beryl" continues towards the US coast and northern Mexico
Hurricane Beryl is heading for the US Gulf Coast and northern Mexico. After its devastating passage through the Caribbean as a strong hurricane, it is now moving northwest across the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm. On Sunday, "Beryl" is expected to reach hurricane strength again just off the coast between the USA and Mexico, as the US hurricane center warns.
According to meteorologists, the US state of Texas is at risk of dangerous wind damage and storm surges. The Texas authorities have called on coastal residents to prepare for the storm. At present, "Beryl" is still hundreds of kilometers away from the threatened areas on the border between the USA and Mexico.
In Mexico, "Beryl" hit the Yucatán Peninsula on Friday as a level 2 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of up to 175 kilometers per hour near the seaside resort of Tulum. Its strong winds caused a great deal of damage: trees and road signs toppled over and power was cut in large parts of the popular vacation region. However, the destruction was less drastic than feared. No fatalities were initially reported.
Devastation on several Caribbean islands
Beryl had previously swept across several Caribbean islands, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. At least eleven people lost their lives and on some Caribbean islands, more than 90 percent of houses were damaged or destroyed, according to the UN emergency aid office OCHA in Geneva. In the meantime, "Beryl" was considered a category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of around 270 kilometers per hour.
According to the electricity provider JPS, more than half of the households in Jamaica are still without electricity. According to OCHA, 40,000 people in the island state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been affected by the storm, 100,000 in Grenada and 120,000 in Jamaica.
Never before has such a strong storm been recorded so early in the Atlantic hurricane season. The season begins in June and lasts six months. Warmer seawater as a result of climate change makes strong hurricanes more likely.
