By Belize Live News Staff: Tonight, NEMO issued Advisory NO. 1 after Beryl strengthened to catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. Hurricane Beryl is currently located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea near latitude 13.8N, longitude 64.9W. It is moving west-northwest at 22 mph with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and minimum central pressure of 938 mb.
Beryl is expected to continue on a west to west-north-westward track for the next few days, crossing the southeastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, moving south of Jamaica on Wednesday, entering the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Thursday, and potentially making landfall on Belize or north of Belize on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
NEMO mentioned that late on Thursday, a system with heavy rainfall and strong gusty winds may affect Belize, potentially causing damage to structures and flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas.
NEMO advises the public to update their family emergency plan, including adequate supplies for the elderly and disabled. They also advise early relocation to safe locations in low-lying or vulnerable coastal communities, and to secure their homes and important documents. They also advise clearing drains to reduce flooding, and to contact the NEMO District Coordinator if uncertain about shelters. The public is advised to secure their homes and documents, and to evacuate voluntarily if necessary.
Residents are advised to closely monitor the system and follow official information from NEMO and the Met Service. NEMO district emergency operations centers will be activated on July 2nd, and residents should stay alert and prepared for National Met Service weather bulletins and advisories.
