Storm Dolly hits Veracruz, Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Tropical Storm Dolly drenched Mexico’s Gulf coast before moving inland over mountains and weakening to tropical depression on Wednesday.

The U.S. Hurricane Center said Dolly was centred about 65 miles (110 kilometres) west-southwest of Tampico, with sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph). It and it was moving to the west at 8 mph (13 kph).

The storm collapsed a street and house in the port city of Veracruz and prompted hundreds of schools to close in the states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas. Forecasters said it was expected to bring 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 centimetres) of rain.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Norbert was whirling along Mexico’s Pacific coast with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), and it was expected to grow into a hurricane before brushing past the Los Cabos resorts at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula on Thursday.

Norbert was centred about 245 miles (395 kilometres) south of Los Cabos and it was moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph) on Wednesday morning. Mexico’s National Meteorological Service warned it could bring intense rains to a broad swath of the western and central Mexico.

Downtown Las Choapas, Veracruz, Mexico. That state was hit by Tropical Storm Dolly. iStock photo