Parts of Mexico's Gulf Coast were under a storm watch early Thursday as a tropical depression drifted closer, while Tropical Storm Karen slightly weakened in the open Atlantic Ocean, according to dpa. The Mexican government on Wednesday issued a tropical storm watch from Palma Sola to La Cruz, meaning winds of 39 mph (63 kph) to 73 mph (117 kph) were possible within the next 36 hours. The depression was expected to produce as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain over the Mexican state of Veracruz. At 8 a.m. EDT Thursday (1200 GMT), the 13th depression of the season was centered about 200 miles (322 kilometers) east-southeast of Tampico and about 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Tuxpan. Its maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph (56 kph), 4 mph (6.4 kph) below tropical storm strength. The depression was moving toward the west-southwest at about 3 mph (4.8 kph), and was expected to slowly move to the west during the next day. In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Karen was centered about 970 miles (1,561 kilometers) east of the Windward Islands and moving west-northwest at about 15 mph (24 kph). Its maximum sustained winds had decreased to 65 mph (105 kph) by 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), down from 70 mph (113 kph) three hours earlier. Some further weakening was forecast. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph (119 kph).
