MIAMI (AFP) — Tropical Storm Lorenzo strengthened into a hurricane and slammed ashore Friday in one of Mexico's oil producing regions, the US National Hurricane Center said, before Lorenzo lost some of its punch.
Briefly a Category One hurricane -- the lowest on the five-level Simpson-Saffir scale -- Lorenzo then weakened back to tropical storm status over land; at 0500 GMT it was located inland, some 45 kilometers (30 miles) south-southwest of Tuxpan, the Miami-based Hurricane Center reported.
Scores of offshore oil rigs are located in the area off Tuxpan.
Lorenzo was moving toward the west at about 11 kilometers (seven miles) per hour with maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers (65 miles) per hour, with higher gusts.
"Rapid weakening is forecast today as Lorenzo proceeds inland," the center said, while still warning that its heavy rain "could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides."
The storm is expected to dump up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain in the Mexican state of Veracruz, "with possible isolated maximums of 15 inches," or 38 centimeters.
At least four Mexican states declared hurricane watches, the Mexican interior ministry said in a statement in Mexico City.
Authorities evacuated people from low-lying and flood-prone areas in Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Tabasco and Campeche states, the statement added.
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