Live updates: Beryl slams Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and is expected to regain hurricane strength before hitting US

Beryl ripped through the Caribbean and devastated communities in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday – with shocking aerial photos showing the widespread damage.

Quintana Roo’s Governor Mara Lezama shared images of Beryl’s impact after it made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday morning.

While Beryl caused drastic damage and devastation to Caribbean countries such as Grenada’s islands, so far the tropical storm has delivered damage to the impacted Mexican region such as a gas station slanting over, toppled trees, debris on the coastline and utility poles crashing down.

Authorities in the area are still warning people to stay indoors as they are still in a ‘red alert,’ while strong winds continue to pass through the region.

Beryl, now a tropical storm as it hits Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, was made 10-30 percent more intense due to human-induced climate change, according to a rapid analysis study by Climameter.

Beryl’s higher intensity was also driven by natural weather patterns in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, according to the Climameter study.

Beryl made history the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane this week.

“It’s really scary stuff,” Steve Maximay, a climate and agriculture expert in Grenada, previously told The Independent.

”When you talk about Category 4 and 5, there are very few systems or protocols that can prepare you for that,” Maximay continued. “You can have resilient buildings but category five winds can move concrete structures.”

Hurricane Beryl’s growth into a Category 5 storm can be partly attributed to record-warm ocean temperatures. High water temperatures can contribute to sea level rise and hurt marine life in addition to fueling strong storms like Hurricane Beryl. Ocean temperatures will likely continue to rise even if we curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to NOAA.

Island nations are at the front lines of the climate crisis, given their vulnerability to violent storms and sea-level rise.

The Alliance of Small Island States, an organization designed to create a unified voice for small island nations to address the ongoing climate crisis, denounced the climate crisis and its impact on island nations.

“We continue to be sacrificed on the frontlines of a climate crisis we did not cause,” the statement said. “Our sea temperatures grow warmer, encouraging storms to strengthen at alarming speed and increasing the dire threat to our developing countries. The increased danger is evident for the world to see.”

Beryl has weakened to a tropical storm on Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) said moments ago. However, it is expected to re-gain strength as it travels through the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds are now at 85mph.

The storm is still expected to bring dangerous storm conditions to Texas early next week.

Hurricane Beryl has killed at least 11 people in the eastern Caribbean, the Associated Press reported Friday morning.

At least two of those killed — the first in St George’s, Grenada and the second in Hanover, Jamaica — died after hurricane-force winds knocked trees onto their homes. Hurricane Beryl caused widespread destruction in Jamaica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines this week.

There have been no reports of injuries or deaths from Hurricane Beryl in Mexico, according to Laura Velázquez Alzúa, coordinator of civil protection.

Authorities are already out on the streets assessing the damage the strong winds have caused, particularly in the popular holiday destination of Tulum.

The storm will bring dangerous rip currents to the Gulf Coast over the weekend before hitting southern Texas. Governor Greg Abbott is warning residents to make a plan for the weekend as they celebrate July 4.

“As Texans and visitors in south coastal areas celebrate Independence Day, I urge them to also make an emergency plan to stay safe,” Abbott said on X.

Hurricane Beryl is set to hit southern Texas by late Sunday night, and Governor Greg Abbott is warning residents to make a plan for the weekend as they celebrate July 4.

“As Texans and visitors in south coastal areas celebrate Independence Day, I urge them to also make an emergency plan to stay safe,” Abbott said on X.

The governor has also directed the state’s Division of Emergency Management to increase their readiness level on Friday morning.

“Texas is prepared to quickly deploy all available emergency response resources to assist at-risk communities,” Abbott said.