Havana (dpa)
Hurricane Beryl reached Mexico's Yucatán peninsula early on Friday, with wind speeds reaching 175 kilometres per hour in the popular holiday destination.
After wreaking havoc across the Caribbean, the hurricane made landfall near the coastal resort of Tulum having just dropped to a category 2 out of 5, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) and the Mexican weather service said on Friday.
Strong winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous storm surges are expected near the tourist resorts of Cancún and Tulum, where more than 340,000 holidaymakers are staying. Pictures from the area showed barricaded shops and houses.
The governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, called on the population and tourists to get to safety, remain calm and stay away from windows.
Outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also urged caution. "Material things can be repaired," he wrote on the social media platform X, adding:
"The most important thing is life."
According to media reports, at least 10 people died as Beryl earlier crashed through Grenada, Venezuela and St Vincent and the Grenadines, while also brushing Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Beryl was temporarily upgraded to a "potentially catastrophic" category 5 - the highest level - late on Monday, but lost some of its intensity before regaining force.
The hurricane season begins in the Atlantic on June 1 and ends on November 30.
Beryl is the first hurricane of the season, and the strong storm ever recorded in July.
Experts say climate change is increasing the likelihood of stronger storms.