Tropical Storm Beryl is predicted to strengthen as it heads toward Texas after causing fatalities in the Caribbean. The storm is expected to reach Texas on Sunday night, following its landfall in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula two days prior.
Beryl, initially downgraded to a tropical storm, is expected to regain hurricane strength over the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters. Although no deaths occurred in Mexico, Beryl claimed at least 11 lives in the Caribbean, impacting Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela with strong winds and heavy rain.
Read more: Hurricane Beryl Moves Toward Mexico After Crossing The Eastern Caribbean
The storm quickly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane before briefly reaching Category 5, making it the earliest and strongest storm recorded in the Atlantic hurricane season, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), which attributes this to human-caused climate change.
Beryl is forecasted to make landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, likely between Brownsville and north of Corpus Christi, NHC senior specialist Jack Beven told The Associated Press. He noted that the storm could further strengthen if it remains over water longer than expected, with winds potentially increasing by 27 to 37 kilometers per hour (17 to 23 mph) within the next 24 hours.
The NHC has warned of storm surges in northeastern Mexico and along the Texas coast, along with flash flooding and life-threatening rip currents.
