When is Hurricane Beryl expected to make landfall in Texas?

(NewsNation) — Hurricane Beryl, which killed at least eight people in its path across the Caribbean, is expected to hit Texas by Monday morning but could diminish to a tropical storm by the time it hits the U.S., forecasters predict.

Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season, is currently being classified as a Category 3 hurricane with winds reaching 120 mph. as it has made its way toward the United States. However, according to Brian James, Nexstar Weather Center chief meteorologist, the storm appears to be weakening as it continues to track closer to the U.S. southern border.

However, what the storm does over the Gulf of Mexico as it approaches Texas is the biggest focus, forecasters say.

James said that the storm does not appear to be as organized as it once was and is showing signs of weakening. Beryl is expected to make landfall sometime late in the U.S. over the weekend and into early morning, when it could approach parts of southern Texas, James said.

Most of the forecast models predict that Beryl will continue to trend toward Texas but is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as makes its way across the Gulf of Mexico. The storm could develop back to a Category 1 hurricane once it gets back over the Gulf, James said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.”

The biggest question, James said, is how much the storm will strengthen as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico and approaches the southern part of Texas by early Monday.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino has issued a voluntary evacuation order for the state’s most southern county, but is not requiring residents and guests to leave at this time. The order was issued as a precautionary measure as state officials continue to monitor the storm’s path.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Department of Emergency Management to issue advisories as needed. State officials are urging residents to follow local guidance as the state braces for the storm to make landfall early next week.

Forecasters predict that Beryl will hit land around Belize or Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Thursday night or Friday morning if the high-pressure area of the storm remains strong.

Accuweather meteorologists said although the risk of direct impacts has remained low in areas across parts of Florida and Louisiana, the risk intensifies as it approaches parts of Texas, including Corpus Christi and Brownsville, USA Today reported.

“That southern portion of the Texas coast is the zone we have to really watch,” Accuweather meteorologist Jonathan Porter told the newspaper.

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