The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Karl had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) late Wednesday afternoon. It was centered about 240 miles (380 kilometers) north-northeast of the port city of Veracruz and was still moving north at 2 mph (4 kph).

The center said that while Karl might move northward a while longer, atmospheric conditions were likely to reverse it back toward Mexico’s southern Gulf coast, where it should weaken but could reach land by early Saturday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 115 miles (185 kilometers) from the center.

The hurricane center said Karl could bring up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain to isolated parts of Veracruz and Tabasco states.

Karl formed one day after former Hurricane Julia dissipated in the Pacific after having directly or indirectly caused the deaths of at least 28 people in Central America and Mexico following its landfall on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast.