Mexico braces itself for impact of Hurricane Katia

PIC: Mexican soldiers who form part of the national disaster programme patrol the coastway along the beach in Barra de Cazones, in Veracruz state, on September 7, 2017.(AFP)

MEXICO | HURRICANE KATIA

Mexican authorities are preparing for the impact of Hurricane Katia, which could affect over a million people as it rumbles towards the state of Veracruz from the Gulf of Mexico.

Army troops and personnel from the federal electricity authority have been deployed to the area on Mexico's eastern gulf coast to be on hand to help in emergencies.

Meanwhile, several shelters have opened as areas at risk of landslides are evacuated.

"We are expecting the hurricane to hit on Friday night or in the early hours of Saturday," Veracruz governor Miguel Angel Yunes told Radio Formula.

He added that more rain in the wake of Hurricane Franklin, which hit Veracruz in early August, will soften the ground -- increasing the possibility of landslides.

Katia, a category one hurricane, was around 195 miles northeast of Veracruz at 12:00 GMT Thursday -- with sustained winds of 80 miles (129 kph) per hour and gusts of 96 mph (154 kph), according to the National Meteorological Service of Mexico.

It is one of three active hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean alongside Category Five Irma and Category One Jose.

As a result of its geographical location and Pacific and Atlantic coastlines, Mexico is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, with at least a dozen weather events every year.