Hurricane Beryl: King Charles’ message to hurricane victims
King Charles has spoken about the impact of deadly Hurricane Beryl which battered the Caribbean while Prince William and Princess Catherine have made a “private donation” towards relief efforts.
Environment
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King Charles has sent his sympathies and support to those affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl.
The storm made history by becoming the fastest to reach category five on record, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
“My family and I have been profoundly saddened to learn of the dreadful destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl across the Caribbean,” the King said in a statement.
“Above all, we send our heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of those who have so cruelly lost their lives.
“I have seen the extraordinary spirit of resilience and solidarity that people across the Caribbean have shown in response to such destruction – a spirit which has been called upon too often – and so I also send my particular gratitude to the emergency services and volunteers who are supporting the rescue and recovery efforts.
A message from His Majesty The King following the devastation of Hurricane Beryl across the Caribbean.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 4, 2024
🔗 https://t.co/0qqaeGWXEDpic.twitter.com/7YUWVU8J5y
“At this most difficult of times, please know that our most special thoughts and prayers are with all those whose lives, livelihoods and property have been so utterly devastated.”
It comes as the Prince and Princess of Wales made a private donation to the ongoing relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.
It has been reported that the royals are “closely” following the impact of the storm, which has so far peaked at category five winds of more than 265 kilometres an hour.
The storm is the fastest on record to ever reach category five in the Atlantic, with scientists putting its rapidly increasing winds down to the impacts of climate change.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales are donating privately to the relief efforts,” a royal source said. “They continue to follow the impact of Hurricane Beryl closely.”
It was also announced that Britain’s Royal Navy has been sent to assist as well.
HMS Trent is currently making its way to the Cayman Islands with 50 sailors and is equipped with bottled water, basic emergency supplies and other equipment.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the team includes members of the who will be able to 700X Naval Air Squadron who can conduct airborne assessments of the damage caused by the category five storm.
BERYL HEADS FOR MEXICO
Meanwhile, Hurricane Beryl swept past the Cayman Islands on Thursday local time en route to Mexico, threatening to bring gusting winds and storm surge after battering Jamaica’s southern coast.
Beryl weakened to a Category 3 storm overnight, and now has maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometres an hour.
It is expected to weaken further as it heads toward landfall early Friday local time on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
The storm has left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and the coast of Venezuela, killing at least seven people and bringing with it flash floods and mudslides.
The storm is the first since NHC records began to reach the Category 4 level in June and the earliest to reach Category 5 in July.
In the Cayman Islands, Acting Deputy Governor Eric Bush said there have been no calls for evacuations and expressed worry that some people were leaving their homes to film the storm, the Cayman Compass news website said.
In Jamaica, more than 400,000 people were without power, according to the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper, citing a public service company.
Mexican officials have scrambled to prepare, with the NHC warning Beryl will remain a hurricane until it makes landfall.
“We will have intense rains and wind gusts” from Thursday, Civil Protection national co-ordinator Laura Velazquez said, announcing the deployment of hundreds of military personnel, marines and electricity workers in anticipation of damage.
The government has prepared 112 shelters with a capacity for around 20,000 people and suspended school in the state of Quintana Roo, where Beryl will likely hit.
🎥🌬ï¸Beryl azota a la isla de Granada en el Arco de las Antillas Menores.#HurricaneBeryl
— Honduras Al Dia (@Hondurasaldiahn) July 1, 2024
Cortesia#VigilanciaTropicalpic.twitter.com/9eOXfOW6aL
In towns including the popular tourist area of Tulum, public activities will be suspended starting at 4pm Thursday local time. Velazquez urged people to report to the nearest shelter as the storm approaches.
The hurricane is expected to slam the Yucatán as a Category 1 hurricane, emerge over the Gulf of Mexico, then hit the northern state of Tamaulipas, which borders the United States.
It is extremely rare for such a powerful storm to form this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from early June to late November.
Warm ocean temperatures are key for hurricanes, and North Atlantic waters are currently between one-three degrees Celsius warmer than normal, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
UN climate chief Simon Stiell, who has family on the island of Carriacou, said climate change was “pushing disasters to record-breaking new levels of destruction.” “Disasters on a scale that used to be the stuff of science fiction are becoming meteorological facts, and the climate crisis is the chief culprit,” he said Monday, reporting that his parents’ property was damaged.
Originally published as Hurricane Beryl: King Charles’ message to hurricane victims
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