Hurricane Karl swells to monster;slams Mexico

Hurricane Karl quickly grew from a Cat 1 hurricane to a Cat 3 hurricane within 24 hours yesterday and last night. Karl is the third major hurricane in the Atlantic basin and the third to grow so quickly. Igor and Julia also grew from a Category 1 to a Category 4 very quickly with both storms existing as Category 4 storms simultaneously in the Central Atlantic.

Karl came ashore with 125 MPH winds this morning and is slowly decreasing in strength.

Powerful hurricane Karl hits Mexican Gulf coast(CTV)

VERACRUZ, Mexico — Hurricane Karl smashed into Mexico's Gulf Coast on Friday, creating havoc in the major port city of Veracruz and forcing the country to shut down its only nuclear power plant and its central Gulf Coast oil platforms.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Karl's eye hit about 10 miles (15 kilometres) northwest of Veracruz at about 11:30 a.m. (12:30 EDT; 1630 GMT) with sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph).

Veracruz civil protection chief Isidro Cano Luna said the storm already had caused widespread damage, knocking down trees, billboards and power poles. He said there had not been a storm like it since Hurricane Janet hit in September 1955.

While the storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland, it was still likely to be at hurricane force when it reaches the state capital of Jalapa, 60 miles (100 kilometres) from the coast, said that city's Mayor David Velasco Chedraui.

It was projected to slog across central Mexico, drenching Mexico City, after dumping heavy rain into the mountainous, flood-prone region of Veracruz where a storm killed more than 300 people in 1999, most in landslides.

Video: Karl Now a Category 3, Bermuda in Igor's Path (Associated Press)