Hurricane Beryl was heading southeast of the Cayman Islands on Thursday morning (4) as a Category 3 storm after hitting Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, killing at least eight people and damaging homes.
Beryl is expected to bring dangerous storms and damaging waves to the Cayman Islands overnight Thursday into Friday (5).
Check out the latest updates:
Hurricane Beryl is about 105 miles (170 kilometers) southeast of Grand Cayman. Although some weakening is expected over the next two days, the storm is still forecast to reach or approach major hurricane strength as it passes over the Cayman Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday.
The hurricane damaged structures across the Caribbean, including the roof of Jamaica’s Norman Manley International Airport. A woman died in Jamaica’s Hanover Parish on Wednesday (3) after a tree fell on her home. In Venezuela, at least three people died, three died in Grenada and one person died in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The unusually warm ocean waters that helped the hurricane intensify show that this season will be far from normal due to global warming caused by fossil fuel pollution. Beryl is an example of how developing nations are bearing the brunt of climate change, which is causing more frequent and extreme natural disasters, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned.
A 2022 study showed that 55 of the world’s most vulnerable economies have already suffered losses and damages exceeding $500 billion over the past two decades due to the climate crisis.
Holness said he believes the country is now entering “phase two of this disaster” and response efforts after Beryl dumped rain and brought destructive winds to the island on Wednesday, damaging coastal infrastructure and displacing residents. He said the country remains cautious that heavy rains could still trigger flooding and landslides. A flood watch is in effect for Jamaica.
Meanwhile, authorities in parts of South Texas are bracing for potential impacts from Beryl over the weekend, distributing sandbags and asking some residents to voluntarily evacuate their homes.
Source: CNN Brasil
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