At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the center of Hurricane Beryl was located just offshore of the southwest part of Jamaica near latitude 17.8 North, longitude 78.3 West. Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 20 mph (31 km/h). A westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next day or two, taking the core of Beryl just south of Cayman Islands tonight and over the Yucatan Peninsula late Thursday night and Friday. Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday night and turn northwestward. Maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts. Beryl is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some weakening is forecast during the next day or two. However, Beryl is forecast to be at or near major hurricane intensity while it passes the Cayman Islands. Additional weakening is expected thereafter, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km). The minimum central pressure based on data from the Air Force and NOAA Hurricane Hunters is 960 mb (28.35 inches).
Comments