Hurricane Beryl has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane as the center passed southwest Grand Cayman on Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center said, and is expected to make landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday morning.
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, Beryl was about 180 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds are 110 mph and the storm is moving west-northwest at 20 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles.
“Weakening is forecast during the next day or two, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula,” NHC said.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Puerto Costa
Maya to Cancun, including Cozumel, while a hurricane watch is in effect for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula south of Puerto Costa Maya to Chetumal and the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico north of Cancun toCabo Catoche.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula south of Puerto
Costa Maya to Chetumal and the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula north of Cancun to
Campeche.
A westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next day or two, taking the core of Beryl away from the Cayman Islands this morning and over the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday, NHC said. Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength later today, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
NHC said Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday night and turn northwestward. Weakening is forecast during the next day or two, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula.
The first tropical depression of the season of the Eastern Pacific season has formed and strengthened into Tropical Storm Aletta on Thursday afternoon. It is about 190 miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.
