Hurricane Katia churned almost 200 miles (322 km) off the Gulf coast of Mexico on Wednesday evening before an expected turn towards land that could dump heavy rain on eastern states in the coming days, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Katia, a Category 1 hurricane, was 195 miles (314 km) east of the port of Tampico, blowing maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (121 km per hour), the Miami-based NHC said.

 Category 1 is the weakest hurricane designation by the NHC. Category 5 is the strongest.

There are now three hurricanes in the Atlantic. Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century and a Category 5, howled past Puerto Rico on Wednesday and is on a collision course with Florida. Hurricane Jose in the open Atlantic, some 1,000 miles (1,610 km) east of the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles islands, could become a Category 3 and eventually threaten the US mainland.

Earlier in the day, Katia was slightly nearer to the Mexican coast, and at about 7 p.m. CDT (0000 GMT) was moving to the southeast at around 3 mph (5 kph), the center said. Describing Katia as a “small tropical cyclone,” the NHC said the storm would likely start drifting towards the southwest on Thursday, taking it towards the Mexican coast.

Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the NHC’s projections showed the hurricane hitting the oil-rich state of Veracruz around the end of the week. State oil and gas company Pemex has installations in and around the coast of Veracruz, but so far the firm has not reported any interruptions to its operations.

The storm is expected to produce total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 cm) over northern Veracruz, and 2 to 5 inches over southern Tamaulipas state, northeastern parts of the state of Puebla, and southern Veracruz through Saturday morning. The rains may cause flash floods and mudslides, especially in mountainous areas, the NHC said.

Five days of rain are forecast for most of Mexico’s territory due to the effects of storms in the region including Katia, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose, said Luis Felipe Puente, the head of Mexico’s national emergency services. The flurry of storm activity comes after Hurricane Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated as high as $180 billion after pummeling the coasts of Texas and Louisiana with torrential rain and severe flooding.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> Hurricane Katia churned almost 200 miles (322 km) off the Gulf coast of Mexico on Wednesday evening before an expected turn towards land that could dump heavy rain on eastern states in the coming days, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Katia, a Category 1 hurricane, was 195 miles (314 km) east of the port of Tampico, blowing maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (121 km per hour), the Miami-based NHC said.

Category 1 is the weakest hurricane designation by the NHC. Category 5 is the strongest.

There are now three hurricanes in the Atlantic. Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century and a Category 5, howled past Puerto Rico on Wednesday and is on a collision course with Florida. [nL2N1LN26Z]

Hurricane Jose in the open Atlantic, some 1,000 miles (1,610 km) east of the Caribbean`s Lesser Antilles islands, could become a Category 3 and eventually threaten the U.S. mainland.

Earlier in the day, Katia was slightly nearer to the Mexican coast, and at about 7 p.m. CDT (0000 GMT) was moving to the southeast at around 3 mph (5 kph), the centre said.

Describing Katia as a "small tropical cyclone," the NHC said the storm would likely start drifting towards the southwest on Thursday, taking it towards the Mexican coast.

Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the NHC`s projections showed the hurricane hitting the oil-rich state of Veracruz around the end of the week.

State oil and gas company Pemex [PEMX.UL] has installations in and around the coast of Veracruz, but so far the firm has not reported any interruptions to its operations.

The storm is expected to produce total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 cm) over northern Veracruz, and 2 to 5 inches over southern Tamaulipas state, northeastern parts of the state of Puebla, and southern Veracruz through Saturday morning.

The rains may cause flash floods and mudslides, especially in mountainous areas, the NHC said.

Five days of rain are forecast for most of Mexico`s territory due to the effects of storms in the region including Katia, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose, said Luis Felipe Puente, the head of Mexico`s national emergency services.

The flurry of storm activity comes after Hurricane Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated as high as $180 billion after pummeling the coasts of Texas and Louisiana with torrential rain and severe flooding. </s> MEXICO CITY: Hurricane Katia strengthened on Wednesday evening as it churned off the Gulf coast of Mexico before an expected turn towards land that could batter eastern states with high winds and heavy rain, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

A Category 1 hurricane, Katia was 200 miles east of the port of Tampico, blowing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (129 km per hour), and may be close to major hurricane strength by the time it is forecast to hit land this weekend, the NHC said.

Category 1 is the NHC's weakest hurricane designation. Category 5 is the strongest. Storms of Category 3 and above are defined as major hurricanes.

There are now three hurricanes in the Atlantic. Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century and a Category 5, howled past Puerto Rico on Wednesday and is on a collision course with Florida.

Hurricane Jose in the open Atlantic, some 1,000 miles (1,610 km) east of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles islands, could become a Category 3 and eventually threaten the U.S. mainland.

Earlier in the day, Katia was slightly nearer to the Mexican coast, and at about 10 p.m. CDT (0300 GMT) was moving east-southeast at around 2 mph (4 kph), the centre said.

The NHC said the storm should strengthen further and would probably start drifting towards the southwest before it is forecast to hit the state of Veracruz by early Saturday.

Katia has "worrying characteristics" because it is very slow-moving and could dump a lot of rain on areas that have been saturated in recent weeks, Luis Felipe Puente, head of Mexico's national emergency services, told domestic television.

State oil and gas company Pemex has installations in and around the coast of Veracruz, but the firm has not reported any interruptions to its operations.

The storm is expected to bring total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 cm) over northern Veracruz, and 2 to 5 inches over southern Tamaulipas state, northeastern parts of the state of Puebla, and southern Veracruz through Saturday morning.

The rains may cause flash floods and mudslides, especially in mountainous areas, the NHC said.

The flurry of storm activity comes after Hurricane Harvey killed about 60 and caused property damage estimated as high as US$180 billion after pummelling the coasts of Texas and Louisiana with torrential rain and severe flooding. </s> MEXICO CITY, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Hurricane Katia made landfall on Friday near the working-class beach resort of Tecolutla in the state of Veracruz on the Mexican Gulf coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

It lost some strength before it landed about 115 miles (185 km) northwest of the port city of Veracruz as a Category 1 storm with sustained winds 75 mph (120 km/h). The storm was expected to weaken rapidly over the next day, the NHC said.

Category 1 is the NHC's weakest hurricane designation while Category 5 is the strongest. Storms of Category 3 and above are defined as major hurricanes.

Mexico is also dealing with the aftermath of a powerful earthquake on Thursday night. The quake, the strongest to strike the country in more than 80 years, killed at least 61 people.

There are now three hurricanes in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, made landfall in Cuba on Friday as a Category 5 storm. Millions of Florida residents were ordered to evacuate after the storm killed 21 people in the eastern Caribbean and left catastrophic destruction in its wake.

Hurricane Jose continued to gather strength far out in the Atlantic and it was nearing Category 5 strength as it churned about 435 miles (700 km) east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands.

Veracruz state officials said in a statement on Friday that the storm could cause landslides and flooding, and urged people living below hills and slopes to be prepared to evacuate.

Luis Felipe Puente, head of Mexico's national emergency services, said this week that Katia has "worrying characteristics" because it is very slow-moving and could dump a lot of rain on areas that have been saturated in recent weeks.

State oil and gas company Pemex has installations in and around the coast of Veracruz, but the firm has not reported any disruption to its operations. (Reporting by Michael O'Boyle; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) </s> While Hurricane Irma tracks towards Florida and Hurricane Jose's path edges closer to the Caribbean, a new storm is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico today: Hurricane Katia.

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Category 1 storm is expected to make landfall with Mexico's east coast Friday night or Saturday morning, moving west towards Veracruz and later to Mexico City—and away from the Yucatan Peninsula.

Currently, Katia's winds are as high as 75 miles per hour, but are forecasted to reach as high as 110 miles per hour as the storm intensifies. Category 5 Irma's winds have reached 185 miles per hour, making it a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest storm on the Saffir–Simpson scale.

But Wind isn't so much the worry with Katia—it's the water that could be deadly. Total rainfall accumulations between five and 10 inches are forecast for northern Veracruz, with a possible 15-inch deluge causing flash-floods and mudslides, says NOAA .

Meanwhile, Category 1 storm Jose, which was upgraded from its tropical storm status today, has also seen top-speed winds of 75 miles per hour. But its path is not yet clear, says NOAA. The storm could yet turn northeast out into the Atlantic, or it could intensify as the week goes on. </s> MEXICO CITY, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Hurricane Katia wheeled in place off the Mexican Gulf coast on Thursday, but it was expected to gain strength before it approached land by late Friday or early Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

A Category 1 hurricane, Katia was 210 miles (335 km) east of the port of Tampico, blowing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (130 km per hour), and may be close to major hurricane strength by the time it is forecast to hit land this weekend, the NHC said.

Category 1 is the NHC's weakest hurricane designation. Category 5 is the strongest. Storms of Category 3 and above are defined as major hurricanes.

There are now three hurricanes in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century and a Category 5, spread devastation in Saint Martin, where it killed eight people, and Barbuda in the Caribbean as it took aim at Florida.

Hurricane Jose is in the open Atlantic, some 815 miles (1,310 km) east of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles islands. It was expected to gain some strength but the effects of Irma were seen eventually weakening that storm.

Katia was expected to begin moving again and turn southward, and it is forecast to hit the state of Veracruz by early Saturday.

Katia has "worrying characteristics" because it is very slow moving and could dump a lot of rain on areas that have been saturated in recent weeks, Luis Felipe Puente, head of Mexico's national emergency services, told domestic television on Wednesday.

State oil and gas company Pemex has installations in and around the coast of Veracruz, but the firm has not reported any disruption to its operations. (Reporting by Michael O'Boyle; Editing by Bernadette Baum) </s> MEXICO CITY (AP) - The Latest on Hurricane Franklin (all times local):

Franklin has become the first Atlantic hurricane of the season as it moves toward Mexico's Gulf coast.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami upgraded the storm to a hurricane late Wednesday afternoon. Franklin has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 kph). The storm is about 105 miles (169 kilometers) northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, and moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).

A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Mexico from Puerto de Veracruz to Cabo Rojo, and a hurricane watch extends north of Cabo Rojo to Rio Panuco.

Forecasters expect the hurricane to continue strengthening until it makes landfall in the state of Veracruz late Wednesday or early Thursday.

The hurricane center says storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) above normal tide levels along the coast. Forecasters say rainfall of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) is possible, with some areas getting as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain.

Tropical Storm Franklin took aim at Mexico's central Gulf coast after a relatively mild run across the Yucatan Peninsula, with forecasts saying it would strengthen into a hurricane before making its second landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Franklin began gaining strength after getting over open water again, with its maximum sustained winds quickly rising to 50 mph (85 kph) by late Tuesday. The storm was expected to gain more power as it moved across the lower reaches of the southern Gulf of Mexico and likely would be a hurricane by Wednesday evening, the center said.

Franklin's center was 325 miles (525 kilometers) east-northeast of Veracruz late Tuesday and it was heading west-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).

A hurricane watch was in effect along the Mexican coast from Veracruz to Tuxpan. A tropical storm warning was posted from Veracruz east to Celestun and from Tuxpan north to Rio Panuco. Tropical storm-force winds extended up to 185 miles (295 kilometers) from the center.

Mexico Civil Protection director Ricardo de la Cruz said Tuesday that the storm's impact on Yucatan was not as bad as initially feared, with some trees down and power out in some areas. But, he warned, "The second impact could even be stronger than the first."

Forecasters said Franklin's rains could cause flash floods and mudslides in the mountains of central Mexico. Four to eight inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain were forecast for mainland areas in the storm's path, with localized amounts of up to 12 inches (35 centimeters). </s> Waves break over the sea wall ahead of Hurricane Franklin in Veracruz, Mexico, August 9, 2017. REUTERS/Victor Yanez

VERACRUZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Storm Franklin, now a Category 1 hurricane, is set to crash into eastern Mexico’s key oil-producing Gulf state of Veracruz as the Atlantic’s first hurricane of 2017, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the storm was located about 105 miles (170 km) northeast of Veracruz and was blowing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the center said. The storm is moving west at 12 mph (19 kph) and its center is expected to reach Veracruz on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Franklin is seen weakening rapidly after making landfall, the NHC said.

Veracruz, a major oil producer, is home to two important petroleum ports in Tuxpan and the city of Veracruz.

Across Veracruz state’s northern border is the Ciudad Madero refinery, capable of handling up to 190,000 barrels per day. The plant is on the periphery of the storm’s possible path. </s> 00:38 Dorian Leaves Colder Waters in its Wake Dorian leaves behind colder waters, meteorologist Danielle Banks explains.

At a Glance Hurricane Katia made landfall on the Veracruz coast in eastern Mexico.

Heavy rainfall and gusty winds occurred in eastern Mexico.

Hurricane Katia made landfall north of Tecolutla, between Tampico and the city of Veracruz, in eastern Mexico as a Category 1 hurricane late Friday night.

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/katia_landfall.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/katia_landfall.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/katia_landfall.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" >

Katia quickly dissipated as it tracked inland Saturday morning.

The threat of heavy rainfall will continue into the weekend in eastern Mexico. This heavy rainfall may result in flash flooding and mudslides.

Katia first developed on September 5, 2017 in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and did not move much over the next several days. Katia rapidly strengthened into a hurricane on September 6, 2017.

Maximum sustained winds reached 105 mph on Sept. 8, 2017, making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale . Fortunately, Katia weakened before making landfall.
Hurricane watches are issued for the state of Veracruz on Mexico's Gulf coast. Category 1 Katia (75 mph/120 km/h) is about 185 miles (298 km) off the Mexican coast, slowly moving at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h).