Fernand dissipates inland after hitting Mexico’s Gulf coast

MEXICO CITY – Tropical Storm Fernand hit land along a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico’s upper Gulf coast and quickly dissipated on Wednesday, though forecasters said it could still cause flooding.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Fernand had maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph) late Wednesday and was centred about 130 miles (206 kilometres) west-southwest of the mouth of the Rio Grande. It was moving to the west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph) and was expected to continue in that direction, staying south of the Texas border.

Forecasts said the storm could bring about 1 to 2 inches of rain to southern Texas, though with isolated storm totals of 6 inches in places.

The civil defence office in the north Mexican state of Nuevo Leon said rivers were already rising there. Classes were cancelled on Wednesday, and some schools were made ready as temporary shelters. Rain and some minor flooding was reported in the northern city of Monterrey.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Juliette was moving away from shore and weakening far off Mexico’s Pacific coast.