Tropical Storm Earl Moves Inland Over Southeastern Mexico

BELIZE CITY: Tropical Storm Earl moved inland early today over southeastern Mexico where torrential rains could produce deadly flash floods and mudslides, the US National Hurricane Center said.

The storm with winds of 50 mph (80 kmh) was about 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Veracruz, Mexico as it headed west at 9 mph (15 km), the Miami-based center said in an advisory late on Friday night.

The center said Earl would weaken as it moved inland throughout the day today, but could produce rainfall up to 12 inches (30 cm) and might produce 18 inches (45 cm) of rain in some areas in the Mexican states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Puebla, Tabasco and Campeche.

The rains could result in life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, the center said.

Before crossing Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Earl battered Belize earlier this week, smashing car windows and punching holes in the roofs of Belize City's wooden houses. It also downed trees and flooded parts of the coast.

State-owned oil company Pemex said late on Thursday it was monitoring Earl but that so far it had not needed to evacuate its offshore platforms