July 4, 2024: Hurricane Beryl brings powerful winds and torrential rains to Caribbean

Rain and strong gusts of wind are starting to be felt in parts of Mexico’s Quintana Roo state as Hurricane Beryl approaches, Gov. Mara Lezama said Thursday afternoon.

About 100 flights have been canceled at the Cancun International Airport, which remained open as of 2:00 p.m., Lezama said. At least nine flights were also canceled at Tulum’s airport, where operations were suspended at 3:00 p.m., she added.

The state of Quintana Roo, a popular tourist destination in the Yucatán Peninsula, is under an orange level alert, which urges residents to evacuate at-risk zones and seek refuge in temporary shelters.

Preventative evacuations have been carried out in several municipalities including Holbox, Punta Allen and Mahahual, the state government said.

According to the latest forecast, Beryl is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane Thursday night or early Friday between the municipalities of Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Lezama warned.

After sweeping through Quintana Roo, the hurricane is then expected to continue toward Yucatán state in the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula, National Coordinator for Civil Protection Laura Velázquez said earlier.

Velázquez said schools have been suspended in Quintana Roo and Yucatán states. Maritime activities have also been suspended in Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and José María Morelos in Quintana Roo as of 5 p.m., and in 24 municipalities of Yucatán from 7 p.m.