Hurricane Beryl strengthened into a Category 3 storm Thursday as it approached the Yucatan Peninsula and Mexico, bringing high winds and storm surge of up to 5 feet (1.5 meters), forecasters said.
The hurricane has already caused nine deaths in Venezuela, Jamaica and the Windward Islands of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It has caused severe damage to many homes in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, authorities in both countries said.
The Yucatan Peninsula was under a hurricane warning and was expected to begin receiving hurricane-force winds overnight and into Friday.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the cyclone was expected to make landfall in Tulum and urged residents to move to higher ground or seek shelter elsewhere.
“Let’s not hesitate, material things can be recovered. The most important thing is life,” he said on X Thursday evening.
The storm had weakened to a Category 2 on Thursday, but later strengthened to a Category 3, and as of 10 p.m. it had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
Hurricane warnings covered the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun, including the island of Cozumel, the hurricane center said.
Landfall is expected Friday morning, but strong winds and powerful waves from the major storm will hit the peninsula before then, forecasters said.
The storm is expected to weaken after landfall. It is expected to head toward the Gulf of Mexico Friday night, then regain strength. It will then move toward northeastern Mexico or southern Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Beryl’s formation and strength have been record-breaking. Scientists say this rapid intensification process is becoming more common as climate change increases sea surface temperatures.
It is the first Category 4 hurricane on record to form in June and the earliest Category 4 storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Before Beryl, Hurricane Dennis was the earliest, forming on July 8, 2005.
When Beryl strengthened into a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph this week, it became the strongest hurricane on record in July.
