Hurricane Beryl Heads Toward Houston, Could Make Landfall as Category 2

Tropical Storm Beryl is on course to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane as it approaches the Houston area early on Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports.

Forecasts indicate the storm will regain Category 1 hurricane strength on Sunday as it moves over warm Gulf waters and shifts north-northwest. Hurricane warnings have been issued for much of the Texas coast by the NHC.

Ports from Houston to Corpus Christi are experiencing closures and vessel traffic restrictions, likely impacting crude oil exports, refinery shipments, and motor fuel distribution.

Temperatures in the region are expected to soar above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) in the coming days, with heat indices potentially reaching 108 on Sunday. Flood watches are in effect for parts of eastern Texas as the storm, currently packing maximum wind speeds of 60 mph (96 kph), approaches.

Earlier this week, Beryl, which briefly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane, devastated parts of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela, resulting in at least 11 fatalities and widespread damage.

The storm crossed Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, causing power outages but sparing the region’s major beach destinations and resulting in no casualties.

As Beryl nears Texas, the National Weather Service has warned of potential coastal flooding and rip currents due to storm surges.