1 of 3 | Debris litters a street due to damage caused during the approach of Hurricane Beryl in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, in Quintana Roo, Mexico, on Friday. Photo by Alonso Cupul/EPA-EFE
July 5 (UPI) — Weather forecasters late Friday warned of hurricane and storm-surge danger for portions of the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl’s approach.
A hurricane watch is now in effect for the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Sargent, while a storm surge watch is now in effect for the same region.
The Meteorological Service of Mexico issued a hurricane watch for the northeastern coast of Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
Forecasters said they expect a west-northwestward motion from the storm through the night, adding that it also is expected that the storm will turn toward the northwest on Saturday, with the center of Beryl expected to approach the western Gulf coast late Sunday afternoon and Sunday night.
Earlier Friday, forecasters downgraded Beryl from a hurricane to a tropical storm after the once-powerful hurricane passed over the Yucatan Peninsula.
Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm after it brought torrential rain and damaging winds across the resort area Friday morning, forcing tourists and natives to hunker down.
As of the National Hurricane Center’s 4 p.m., EDT report, Beryl moved west across the northeastern Yucatan at 15 mph with sustained winds of 65, down from much stronger gusts when Beryl first reached landfall earlier in the day.
Forecasters predict that as it returns to the Gulf of Mexico, the storm will make a more pronounced northwesterly turn toward southern Texas and northwestern Mexico. The storm is currently about 610 miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas’s most southern tip.
Meteorologists say that the storm is expected to re-intensify once back in the Gulf of Mexico, but it will be difficult for the once Category 5 storm to reach it former levels.
“Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwest Gulf of Mexico tonight and then move northwestward toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas by the end of the weekend,” the center said.
Jamaica has turned to cleanup efforts after the storm hit that island nation on Wednesday, including significant damage to Kingston’s Normal Manley International Airport. The storm left widespread power outages and blocked roads from flooding and debris.
More than 500 people, including tourists, remain in shelters as officials continue the cleanup.
“We are emphasizing on ensuring they are comfortable and well looked after,” Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on social media.
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