Tropical Storm Karl strengthens in Gulf off Mexico’s coast

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Karl has grown a little stronger off Mexico’s southern Gulf coast and it’s expected to approach land by the weekend without gaining  hurricane strength. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Karl had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph Wednesday morning. It was centered about 185 miles (300 kilometers) north-northeast of the port city of Veracruz. 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 from the center. The hurricane center says Karl could bring up to 12 inches of rain to isolated parts of Veracruz and Tabasco states.