MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Dolly headed Tuesday for a soggy collision with Mexico's Gulf coast, where authorities suspended school classes and readied shelters.
The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 45 mph (75 kph) and some strengthening was possible as Dolly's center approached the coast in the evening and moved over land overnight, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
The storm was expected to bring 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 centimeters) of rain to states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, along the Gulf coast and inland.
A tropical storm warning for Mexico's coast covered an area from Cabo Rojo to Barra el Mezquital.
Dolly was centered about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of the port city of Tampico by Tuesday evening. It was moving to the west at 10 mph (17 kph).
Tamaulipas state authorities said shelters were being readied and that classes would be suspended Wednesday in several municipalities along the Gulf coast. Authorities in neighboring Veracruz state ordered classes in the whole state suspended.
"Classes will be suspended in the whole state of #Veracruz because of Tropical Story #Dolly," wrote Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte on his Twitter account.
By Tuesday evening, several streets in the port city of Veracruz had flooded and least two streets where electric workers had been doing underground work had collapsed, damaging a house and several cars.
Also Tuesday, another tropical storm, Norbert, formed off the Mexico's Pacific coast.
Norbert's center was about 145 miles (230 kilometers) west of Manzanillo. It was moving toward the north-northeast, but Hurricane Center forecasters said it was expected to turn west and head away from land.
Maximum sustained winds were around 45 mph (75 kph), and the storm was forecast to strengthen somewhat in the next two days.