Thread: Tropical Storm Nate Moves Over Nicaragua - killing at least 22

Tropical Storm Nate is gaining force as it speeds towards Mexico and the United States after killing at least 21 people in Central America.

Key points

• At least 21 people dead across Central America
• Storm expected to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall in the US
• Schools and businesses closed in Mexican tourist hotspots

Forecasters said it was likely to reach the US Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend.
Louisiana and Mississippi officials declared states of state of emergency and evacuations ahead of the storm's expected landfall on Saturday
night or early Sunday local time.

Evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.
Nearly three-quarters of Gulf of Mexico oil production was offline ahead of the storm, and more oil companies planned to halt operations.
The US National Hurricane Centre warned sea levels could rise by up to 2 metres along a stretch of coastline from Louisiana to the Alabama-Florida border.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometres per hour and was likely to strengthen over the north-western Caribbean Sea before brushing
by the Cancun region at the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.


It could hit the US Gulf coast near New Orleans.