Beryl live updates: Texas issues disaster declaration for 40 counties ahead of hurricane making landfall

Tropical storm Beryl is now charting a dangerous path towards Texas, with state officials issuing a disaster declaration for 40 counties and urging residents across the coast to evacuate.

The National Hurricane Center has forecast Beryl will bring dangerous rip currents to the Gulf Coast over the weekend before likely hitting southern Texas late on Sunday.

The storm is forecast to re-strengthen into a hurricane as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico and will have become a category 1 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in the US.

Governor Greg Abbott warned Texans to prepare for impact: “As Texans and visitors in south coastal areas celebrate Independence Day, I urge them to also make an emergency plan to stay safe.”

Beryl has so far killed at least eleven people in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada , Jamaica and Venezuela after it charted a deadly path through the Caribbean as a category five hurricane earlier in the week.

On Wednesday, the storm knocked out power to 400,000 homes and destroyed buildings in Jamaica. On Friday morning, it made landfall on the popular Mexico tourist destination Tulum with 85mph winds and dangerous storm surge.