Hurricane “Beryl” rages in Mexican vacation region
Published: Friday, Jul 5th 2024, 16:50
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After its destructive passage over the Caribbean Sea, hurricane "Beryl" is now raging in the vacation region of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It made landfall in the early morning local time near the popular seaside resort of Tulum, according to the US hurricane center NHC. According to the local authorities, more than 340,000 visitors were still staying in the region, which also includes the city of Cancún. The hurricane's strong winds toppled trees and electricity pylons and covered houses. According to Mexico's civil defense chief Laura Velázquez, 50 percent of the power in Tulum, among other places, has been cut.
At landfall, "Beryl" was a level 2 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of up to 175 kilometers per hour. It has since weakened slightly and, according to the NHC, is expected to lose further strength over land, then become stronger again over the sea in the Gulf of Mexico - and head for north-eastern Mexico and the US state of Texas. It had previously reached the highest hurricane category and had become the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in July - which is probably linked to the high sea temperatures and therefore also climate change.
The governor of the affected Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, called on people to go to a safe place, stay away from windows and remain calm. The highest warning level is in place. "The most important thing right now is to protect yourself and take care of yourself. Don't take any risks," she says in a video on Platform X - a howling wind can be heard alongside her voice.
Dozens of flights were canceled in the region and the international airport in Tulum was closed. Many tourists wanted to stay in the region despite "Beryl", said Lezama. The larger hotels set up their own safety zones for their visitors. Emergency accommodation was provided and some residents were evacuated.
"Beryl" devastates several islands
"Beryl", the first hurricane of the Atlantic season that began in early June, developed rapidly last weekend. As a force 4 hurricane, it made landfall for the first time on Monday and devastated several small islands in the south-east of the Caribbean, which belong to the states of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. According to government figures, more than 90 percent of the houses there were damaged or destroyed. From Thursday night, the center of the storm passed through Jamaica, causing major destruction in some places there too.
At least ten deaths have been reported so far, including three in Venezuela. The UN emergency aid office OCHA in Geneva reported that around a quarter of a million people in the Caribbean have been affected by the storm - many have lost everything.
Historically strong storm
Never before had such a strong storm been recorded so early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which lasts six months. In the meantime, the NHC measured wind speeds of around 270 kilometers per hour - from 252, the highest category 5 is reached. As a result of climate change, warmer seawater makes strong hurricanes more likely.
Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell called the hurricane a direct consequence of the climate crisis. He called for more climate justice: small island states should not have to suffer excessively from the climate impacts caused mainly by larger countries and also bear their financial burden.
©Keystone/SDA
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