Hurricane Beryl sweeps into Mexico after leaving 11 dead in Caribbean

Homes sit destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in Clifton, Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Credit: AP

Hurricane Beryl has roared ashore on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, after killing 11 people in the south-east Caribbean.

The storm made landfall in Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane and has since been downgraded to tropical storm status.

It is expected to regain hurricane strength once it re-emerges into the Gulf of Mexico, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

Mexican authorities had moved some tourists and residents out of low-lying areas around the Yucatan Peninsula before landfall, but tens of thousands remained to tough out the strong winds and expected storm surge.

Sea turtle eggs have even been removed from some beaches at risk of a storm surge.

The city of Tulum was plunged into darkness after the storm cut off power as it barreled ashore.

A tree uprooted by Hurricane Beryl lays on a street in Tulum. Credit: AP

The UK government announced a new support package on Friday for Caribbean countries affected by the destruction of Hurricane Beryl.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who took on the role on Friday after Sir Keir Starmer announced his new Cabinet, has increased support up to £500,000.

The package will meet the needs of those whose homes and livelihoods have been impacted by the storm.

It includes 800 emergency shelter kits capable of supporting up to 4,000 people. These have been dispatched to Granada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “This funding will help support disaster recovery efforts, as part of a swift and co-ordinated response in the region.

“That such a storm has developed so early in the season shows that we are facing a climate emergency and must act now.”

A boat damaged by Hurricane Beryl lays on its side at a dock in Kingston, Jamaica. Credit: AP

Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent has arrived in the Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory, to provide assistance to communities affected by the hurricane.

The Foreign Office also confirmed two specialist Rapid Deployment Teams have travelled to the region to provide consular assistance to any affected British nationals.

Beryl left a path of destruction in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados earlier this week, leaving 11 people dead.

A house lies destroyed in St Vincent and the Grenadines after Hurricane Beryl. Credit: AP

Three people have been reported dead in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela and two in Jamaica, officials said.

It broke records as the earliest storm to develop into a hurricane in the Atlantic, due to unusually warm sea waters.

As of Friday, 55% of Jamaica is still without power and most of the country lacks running water, according to the government.

The hurricane damaged or destroyed almost all homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Once in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Beryl is forecast to head toward northern Mexico near the Texas border.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcast episode to find out What You Need To Know...