Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Atlantic Category 5 hurricane on record, has commenced its destructive path. Initially striking Jamaica, it is expected to follow with impacts on the Cayman Islands and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The hurricane may also pose a threat to the western Gulf Coast, from Texas to Mexico, early next week.
Currently, Beryl is battering Jamaica with its strongest winds, with the eyewall drawing closer. Rain bands are also affecting parts of Haiti, potentially causing flooding and landslides. Hurricane warnings are in effect in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, as well as parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, including Costa Maya, Tulum, Cozumel, and Cancún. Tropical storm warnings are in place in the Yucatan Peninsula north of Cancún and south of Costa Maya, and a tropical storm watch is in effect in much of the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula as well as in northern Belize, as far south as Belize City.
Beryl is expected to continue its west-northwest track in the Caribbean Sea for the rest of the week. Although it will lose some intensity due to increasing wind shear, it will still pose a significant danger. The hurricane will likely pass through Jamaica until Wednesday evening, bringing potentially devastating winds, life-threatening storm surge flooding, and torrential rainfall. It will then approach the Cayman Islands on Wednesday night and early Thursday, potentially causing storm surge flooding, high winds, and heavy rain. On Thursday night and Friday, Beryl is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, anywhere from the Belize border and Costa Maya to Cozumel, with storm surge flooding, damaging winds, and flooding rain possible.
After leaving the Yucatan Peninsula, Beryl is likely to enter the southwest Gulf of Mexico on Friday night or early Saturday. Its future path in the Gulf of Mexico is uncertain, but some computer models suggest it could take a northwest curve and slow down, potentially affecting the Gulf Coast from eastern Mexico to Texas sometime Sunday or early Monday.
Residents along the Gulf Coast from eastern Mexico to Texas should closely monitor forecast updates and have their hurricane plans ready. Coastal threats could begin this weekend, with increasing surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding possible along parts of the Gulf Coast from eastern Mexico to Texas and western Louisiana.
Beryl made a historic landfall on the Windward Islands on Monday, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, making it the strongest by wind speed among only two other Category 4 hurricanes near Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The hurricane caused significant damage, with multiple reports of downed trees, flooded streets, power outages, and storm surge flooding in the affected islands.
