Eight killed after Beryl sweeps across US

HOUSTON: At least eight people were killed in the southern United States after storm Beryl felled trees and caused heavy flooding, before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone on Tuesday.

In Texas, where Beryl entered as a Category 1 hurricane early on Monday, at least seven people were killed, while another person died in neighbouring Louisiana, authorities said.

Beryl´s death toll is now at least 18 after it tore through the Caribbean last week -- at one point as a Category 5 hurricane, the highest recordable strength.

Some 2.2 million households in Texas were without electricity on Tuesday due to damaged power grids, even as temperatures were forecast to reach 41C (106F) with humidity factored in. Another 14,000 homes were also without power in Louisiana. Air-conditioned shelters for residents were set up while crews worked to restore service.

Beryl weakened on Tuesday and was heading northeast towards Canada with 45-kms per hour winds, the US National Hurricane Centre said, warning it could still generate flooding and tornadoes.

The sprawling city of Houston, home to 2.3 million people, was badly battered by hurricane-strength winds and flooding. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X that a 53-year-old man and 74-year-old woman had died in separate incidents of trees falling on houses. Later, Houston Mayor John Whitmire told a press conference that one person died after a lightning strike possibly ignited a fire, while a police department employee died in floodwaters on his way to work.