Beryl: The earliest Atlantic hurricane to reach Category 4, and the youngest category 5 hurricane in the United States, according to the National Weather Service

Such rapid intensification is relatively normal for major hurricanes that form in the Atlantic, according to federal hurricane data. “Every Category 5 hurricane that hit this country in the last 100 years was only a tropical storm 3 days [earlier],” says Ken Graham, the director of the National Weather Service. The biggest storms are more likely to gain strength quickly.

Beryl has already racked up multiple alarming superlatives. It is the strongest hurricane ever recorded early in the season, and the earliest storm to make a name for itself. Beryl grew from a relatively weak tropical depression into a full-blown major hurricane in less than two days, sending residents in its path scrambling to evacuate or find suitable shelter.

That heat is what allowed Beryl to become the earliest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic to reach Category 4, and then Category 5, status — with devastating results. At least seven people have been killed as the storm swept across the Caribbean. When it hit Grenada on Monday, Beryl caused “unimaginable” damage, according to the country’s prime minister. The vast majority of the buildings on the hardest-hit islands were damaged or destroyed.

But this year, the water temperature in the tropical Atlantic is off the charts. It’s been in record-breaking territory for over a year, which means there’s a lot of extra heat available to fuel storms.

It is in line with what we expect from the science when it comes to the warming of the planet and oceans.

But climate change may be altering those patterns, perhaps because the ocean has absorbed so much of the excess heat trapped by human greenhouse gas emissions.

The relationship between human-caused warming and rapid change is unclear, according to Tom Knutson, a senior scientist at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. We are not sure if there is one that’s emerging.

Hurricane Beryl Strengthens Back into a Category 3 Storm as It Nears Mexico: Myriam Setra, a 44-Year-Old Puerto Alemanue, Jamaica

Some 1,432 people remained in shelters in Jamaica, like Desrine Campbell, a resident of the low-lying community of Old Harbour Bay, who wailed, “My house is almost flooded!”

Sixty percent of the island was without electricity and there was no water or telecommunications. Government officials were assessing the damage, but it was hampered by the lack of communication, mainly in southern parishes that suffered the most damage.

The young man was trying to grab a ball in the water drain when he died. A woman died after a house fell on her.

Over the past few days, Beryl has wreaked havoc over the Grenadines, ripping off roofs and damaging homes, as well as causing minor damage to fishing vessels in the Caribbean.

There were temporary storm shelters in place at schools and hotels but efforts to evacuate a small number of highly exposed villages, like Punta Allen which sits on a narrow spit of land south of Tulum, had been only partially successful.

Before it made its second strike on northeast Mexico, that was expected to bring heavy rain and winds to Mexico’s Caribbean coast, it was expected to cross the Yucatan peninsula and strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico.

Myriam Setra, a 34-year-old tourist from Dallas, Texas was having a sandwich on the beach earlier Thursday, saying “figured we’d get the last of the sun in today, too. hunker down and stay indoors until hopefully the storm passes.

Source: Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3 storm as it nears Mexico

Tulum, Mexico, During a Category 3 Hurricane Beryl Strongens Back into the Mexican Sea: The Emergency Room and Hotel Umi

Tourists were also taking precautions. The Therapist from Idaho told her audience that they would have water to flush the toilet after filling their bottles with water from the tap.

“We’ve cut the gas and electricity. Two maintenance workers are locked down on the emergency floor of the hotel. “We have them staying in the room farthest from the beach and windows.”

Francisco Bencomo, General manager of Hotel Umi in Tulum said all of their guests had left. We will be completely locked down with these conditions, and guests will not be allowed back before July 10th.

Most businesses were closed on Thursday and some people boarded up windows as tourists and locals strolled by. In Tulum, authorities shut things down and evacuated beachside hotels.

Mexico’s popular Caribbean coast prepared shelters, evacuated some small outlying coastal communities and even moved sea turtle eggs off beaches threatened by storm surge.

People were told to leave the white sand beaches as the wind grew stronger on Thursday. Tourists took pictures of the swell, but military personnel urged them to leave as Beryl prepared to make a hard landing in the area.

The storm’s center was about 135 miles (220 kilometers) east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico, and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph (about 26 kph), the hurricane center said.

Jack Beven, senior analyst at the U.S. Hurricane Center, said that now the storm is away from the Cayman Islands, the biggest immediate threat is landfall in theYukon Peninsula.

Lpez Obrador wrote that it is recommended that people get to higher ground, shelters or the homes of friends or family elsewhere. It’s possible to replace material possessions.

Source: Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3 storm as it nears Mexico

Tulum, Dominica, Venezuela: A Category 3 Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3–mexico as it nears Mexico

The president stated that the small city of Tulum may suffer a direct hit from Beryl, as it still holds a lot of tourists and residents.

After becoming a Category 5 Hurricane earlier Thursday, Beryl had winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Carlton Golding said that he lost everything this time. The house was destroyed, the second time that Golding has had damage from storms.

Residents of Clarendon went to clear downed trees and mend damaged roofs. Downed electricity and telecommunication poles partially block some roads in the area.

The premier of the Cayman Islands thanked residents and visitors for contributing to the “collective calm” by following storm protocols.

Michelle Forbes, the St. Vincent and Grenadines director of the National Emergency Management Organization, said that about 95% of homes in Mayreau and Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said. Three other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where four people were missing, officials said.

Source: Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3 storm as it nears Mexico

Tropical Storm Aletta Forms off Mexico’s Coast: A 190-mile Waveset from Manzanillo to the South End of the United States

The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported on Thursday that Tropical Storm Aletta had formed off Mexico’s coast. Aletta, which was located about 190 miles (310 kilometers) from Manzanillo and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), was forecast to head away from land and dissipate by the weekend.