This post was last updated at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Click here for our Sunday story on Beryl.
Tropical Storm Beryl could bring heavy rainfall to the Austin area Monday after hitting the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm's latest forecast path shows. A Category 1 storm means a hurricane has sustained wind speeds of 74-95 mph.
The city and surrounding area appear within the boundary of the National Hurricane Center's forecast, but meteorologists with the National Weather Service said the storm's path is subject to change. The NWS said people in the path should make plans as if Beryl will hit the coast as a Category 2 storm due to the uncertainty.
As of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the forecast path shows Beryl making landfall in the area near Port Lavaca early Monday and then moving inland between Austin/San Antonio and Houston. The track previously showed the storm moving up the Interstate 35 corridor directly to Austin, but has since shifted east.
It's likely the Austin area will see increased chances of showers and thunderstorms early next week, the NWS says, with 2-3 inches of rain possible. Some flooding and gusty winds will also be possible, especially in counties to Austin's east.
Beryl made landfall as a Category 2 storm east of Tulum on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula on Friday and weakened to a tropical storm.
At a press conference Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said the state had begun readying emergency response resources for potential deployment in response to Beryl.
Patrick, who has issued disaster declarations for some counties along and near the Texas coastal region, is serving as acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is in East Asia for an economic development trip.
Follow the latest updates from the National Weather Service below:
