Hurricane Beryl live updates: Storm makes landfall near popular Mexican tourist destination Tulum

The center of Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula around 6:05 a.m. EST Friday morning, just northeast of the popular Mexican tourist area of ​​Tulum.

Maximum sustained wind speeds are 177 km/h (280 km/h), meaning Beryl is currently a powerful Category 2 storm.

Popular tourist destinations in Mexico were put on alert Thursday night as the Category 2 hurricane left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean islands.

With Hurricane Beryl expected to make landfall within hours, Mexico’s major tourist destinations have been put on alert as life-threatening and dangerous weather conditions could sweep across the area.

A “red alert” issued by Mexico’s civil protection agency indicates the hurricane poses a major danger, and people should stay in their homes or shelters, Reuters reported.

“Let us take all preventive and care measures, because the wind and rain will be felt throughout the state. At this time, no one should be away from home,” said Quintana Roo Governor Maya Lezama.

Police have cordoned off beaches in Playa del Carmen, while in Quintana Roo schools have been closed and the Defense Ministry has opened about 120 shelters.

More than 8,600 Army, Air Force and National Guard troops have been deployed to the Yucatan Peninsula to provide relief and support as Hurricane Beryl approaches, CNN reports.

The United Nations will spend $4 million on relief efforts in Jamaica, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines after Hurricane Beryl, the BBC reports.

Earlier this week, the UN reported that officials in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are working closely with local leaders to assist with reconstruction efforts.

“So far, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have reported hundreds of people in reception centres,” a UN spokesperson said.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community to “show solidarity” with all Caribbean countries in the path of Hurricane Beryl, the spokesman said.

Hurricane Beryl has weakened slightly to a strong Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (177 km/h) as the hurricane approaches Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

A hurricane must be moving at least 110 mph (180 km/h) to be considered a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale for hurricane winds, making it a major hurricane.

Despite its category, the National Hurricane Center has warned residents who will be affected to stay home as “life-threatening conditions” move across the Yucatan Peninsula today.

Hurricane-force winds, dangerous storm surges, and heavy rain are expected, as well as rip currents that could create life-threatening beach conditions across much of the Gulf Coast beginning today and into the weekend.

Hurricane Beryl has weakened slightly in wind speed and is heading towards Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, with sustained winds of up to 110 mph (177 km/h).

Just 40 miles (65 km) east of Tulum, Mexico, Beryl is expected to make landfall in Mexico within hours. The National Hurricane Center warns of storm surge that could raise water levels as high as four to six feet above ground level along the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, creating large and destructive waves.

Weather experts predict that today will see a total of 10 to 15 centimeters of rain, with up to 25 centimeters of precipitation in some areas. Flash flooding is possible here and there.

Large waves are already battering parts of the coast of Cuba, the Cayman Islands and the Yucatan Peninsula and are expected to reach eastern Mexico and much of the U.S. Gulf Coast by late today.

These waves are predicted to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Hotels, resorts and tour operators in Quintana Roo have activated contingency plans to secure their facilities and prepare their staff for the dangerous weather Beryl brings.

Cancun International Airport and other regional airports are also alert and prepared for flight cancellations and diversions. Tulum Times defeated.

Cancun’s airport has canceled at least 100 flights on Thursday as tourists rush to catch the last flights leaving the hurricane zone, Reuters reported.

Hurricane Beryl is expected to make landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula in the coming hours on Friday morning. Tourist areas such as Tulum are at risk of being hit directly.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, from Puerto Costa Maya to the popular tourist destination of Cancun, including Cozumel.

About 3,000 tourists were evacuated from the island of Isla Mujeres and returned to the mainland, near Cancun, the island’s tourism director, Jose Magana, said.

Meanwhile, locals in Tulum lined up to fill up their tanks at the gas station and hotels and tourist complexes cleared loose furniture before the high winds hit.

Popular tourist destinations in Mexico were put on high alert Thursday night as the hurricane headed toward Mexico, leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean islands.

The “red alert” issued by Mexico’s civil protection agency indicates a maximum threat from the Category 2 hurricane. People should stay in their homes or shelters, Reuters reports.

“Let us take all preventive and care measures, because the wind and rain will be felt throughout the state. At this time, no one should be away from home,” said Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama.

In Playa del Carmen, police have blocked off entrances to passageways with yellow caution tape, while authorities in Quintana Roo have closed schools and opened about 120 shelters, reports said.

According to CNN, more than 8,600 military personnel from the Army, Air Force and National Guard have also been deployed to the Yucatán Peninsula to provide relief and support as dangerous and life-threatening weather approaches the region.

Category 3 Hurricane Beryl is currently located 40 miles east of Tulum, Mexico, a popular Caribbean beach resort that hosts thousands of tourists and locals.

As Beryl inches closer to a land attack on the Yucatán Peninsula, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a statement Thursday night indicating that Beryl could strike Tulum directly.

“It is advisable for people to go to higher ground, shelters or the homes of friends or family elsewhere,” López Obrador wrote. “Do not hesitate, material possessions can be replaced.”

According to CNN, every municipality in the state of Quintana Roo, including Tulum, remains in the red alert phase of “maximum danger,” Governor Mara Lezama said late Thursday night.

“Nobody should be leaving their home right now,” she said.

According to Mexico’s National Civil Protection Agency, many municipalities in the south and east of the neighboring state of Yucatan are also on alert, the outlet reported.

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The independent‘S Arpan Rai has the story: