Tropical Storm Karl strengthens in Gulf off Mexico's coast

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Tropical Storm Karl grew a little stronger off Mexico’s southern Gulf coast on Wednesday and was expected to approach land by the weekend without gaining hurricane strength.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Karl had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (70 kph) Wednesday morning. It was centered about 185 miles (300 kilometers) north-northeast of the port city of Veracruz and was moving north-northwest at 6 mph (9 kph).

The storm was expected to turn toward the southwest and drift toward Mexico's Gulf coast by Friday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles (165 kilometers) from the center.

The hurricane center said Karl could bring up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain to isolated parts of Veracruz and Tabasco states.

Karl formed one day after former Hurricane Julia dissipated in the Pacific after having directly or indirectly caused the deaths of at least 28 people in Central America and Mexico following its landfall on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast.