Tropical storms Jose, Katia upgrade to hurricane
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Hurricane Katia has formed in the Gulf off the coast of Mexico with sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).
The government of Mexico has issued a hurricane watch for the coast of the state of Veracruz from Tuxpan to Laguna Verde.
Katia is anticipated to drift toward the coast on Thursday.
The announcement of Hurricane Katia came minutes after the US National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Jose had formed in the open Atlantic, far from land and well east of Hurricane Irma.
Jose has winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and is quickly strengthening, but poses no immediate threat to land.
The newly formed hurricanes come as Hurricane Irma, a Category Five storm further to the west, currently batters the Caribbean and threatens Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and south Florida.
