Tropical depression moves toward Mexico coast

A tropical depression crossing Mexico’s Bay of Campeche is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm before making landfall in the gulf-coast state of Veracruz, U.S. forecasters said Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said the Atlantic season’s second tropical depression is drenching areas in its path with between 7.5 and 25 centimeters of rain, raising the threat of flash floods. The depression formed Monday off the Central American country of Belize and was about 140 kilometers north-northeast of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico on Wednesday morning. It was moving west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour (kph) and forecast to strengthen before expected landfall Thursday morning in Veracruz.