TUXPAN, Mexico (Reuters) ? Tropical Storm Nate came ashore on Mexico's Gulf coast on Sunday and could dump as much as 10 inches of rain over the state of Veracruz.
Nate is expected to weaken as it moves inland and could be downgraded to a tropical depression later on Sunday, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
The storm came ashore about 15 miles north-northwest of Veracruz, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour, the hurricane center said in its 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) advisory.
Nate is moving toward the southwest at near 10 mph.
In addition to the heavy rain, a storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels along the coast, the hurricane center said.
The oil-exporting ports of Cayo Arcas and Dos Bocas remained closed to shipping and two other smaller ports were also shut in the southwest Gulf of Mexico.
Strong waves and wind gusts forced beach restaurant owners to pick up chairs and tables and fold umbrellas to prevent accidents.
People in the city of Tuxpan, in northern Veracruz state on the Gulf of Mexico, carried on with business as usual on Saturday, with families gathering at cafeterias and shopping at grocery stores.
State oil company Pemex evacuated 473 workers from five sea platforms as a precaution. Nate had cut Mexican oil production by 178,800 barrels a day as of Friday.
Local media reported a fisherman drowned on Friday after strong surf capsized his little boat in the Bay of Campeche area, and 10 oil industry contractors were missing after they evacuated a rig in the same area.
To the east, Caribbean islands that were lashed by Hurricane Irene last month looked set to be spared any major impact from Tropical Storm Maria.
Maria, with maximum sustained increasing to near 60 mph, was moving toward the northwest.
"The center of Maria will move gradually away from the extreme northeastern Caribbean islands and move over the open Atlantic," the National Hurricane Center said.
"No significant change in strength is anticipated during the next two days," the center added.
(Additional reporting by Cyntia Barrera Diaz; Editing by Will Dunham and Eric Beech)
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