Hurricane Beryl expected to weaken after hitting Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula

SAO PAULO (ICIS)–Hurricane Beryl, which until 3 July was a powerful Category 5 hurricane, weakened to Category 3 by Thursday morning as it headed towards the Mexican peninsula of Yucatan.

When it hits Yucatan, Beryl is expected to weaken into a storm, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday morning.

Therefore, industrial assets in northern Mexico and Texas – including several petrochemicals hubs as well as refineries – could be spared from a big impact if the forecasted path holds.

In addition, few if any energy companies may choose to shut in US oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

Major US oil and LNG ports are also expected to avoid the worst of the storm. According to the current forecast, the hurricane will make landfall between the Mexican petrochemical hub of Altamira, Tamaulipas, and the US hub of Corpus Christi, Texas.

“A westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next day or two, taking the core of Beryl away from the Cayman Islands through this afternoon and over the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday. Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday night and move northwestward across the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Saturday,” said the NHC.

“Reports from Air Force Reserve and NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are now near 115 mph (185 km/h) with higher gusts.  Beryl is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  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.”

BUSY HURRICANE SEASON
Meteorologists have warned that this year’s hurricane season could be the most active ever, with 17-25 named storms.

Out of those, eight-13 should be hurricanes and four-seven should be major hurricanes.

Major hurricanes are Category 3-5 storms with wind speeds of at least 111 miles/hour.

Beryl’s unprecedented early development into a Category 5 hurricane has been attributed to unusually warm sea temperatures, a consequence of global heating.

Source: US’ National Hurricane Center