Beryl to become hurricane again before hitting Texas
Jul 08, 2024
Austin (Texas) [US], July 8: Storm Beryl is expected to become a hurricane again as it moves across the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, US authorities said on Sunday.
The US government's National Hurricane Centre (NHC) made the assessment as Beryl approached the coast of the southwestern state of Texas.
A hurricane warning was declared for a large stretch of the Texan coast. Tropical storm warnings were issued for other areas.
Texas officials warned coastal residents to prepare for possible flooding, heavy rain, and wind.
"We're expecting the storm to make landfall somewhere on the Texas coast sometime on Monday if the current forecast is correct," NHC specialist Jack Beven was cited by the Associated Press news agency as saying.
"Should that happen, it'll most likely be a Category 1 hurricane," he said.
As of Saturday night, Beryl had sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (95 kilometres per hour), according to the NHC.The storm caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean earlier this week.
It hit Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane but did not cause any casualties. It weakened to a tropical storm as it passed through southeastern Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
Atlantic hurricanes getting stronger
Scientists say that Atlantic region has seen more severe storms in recent hurricane seasons, with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting an 85% chance of an "above-normal" season this year.
The United Nations' weather and climate agency WMO said Beryl developed into a category 5 storm substantially earlier than expected.
Tropical cyclones gain most of their energy from the evaporative heat of the water vapor they pick up over the ocean, meaning that warming sea temperatures due to climate change are creating better conditions for the emergence of hurricanes.
Source: Times of Oman
