The Latest: Franklin weakens to tropical storm over Mexico

MEXICO CITY – The Latest on Tropical Storm Franklin (all times local):

4:05 a.m.

Franklin has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves farther inland over eastern Mexico.

The storm made landfall early Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane, the first of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Franklin’s maximum sustained winds later decreased to near 70 mph (113 kph) with additional weakening expected. The storm is expected to dissipate late Thursday or early Friday.

Franklin is centred about 75 miles (121 kilometres) south of Tuxpan, Mexico, and is moving a little south of west near 15 mph (24 kph).

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1 a.m.

Hurricane Franklin has made landfall on the coast of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center says the storm reached the coastline about 80 miles (128.74 kilometres) southeast of Tuxpan, Mexico, early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (136.79 kph).

Franklin strengthened into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season on Wednesday.

Authorities in Veracruz ordered classes cancelled at public schools Thursday as a precautionary measure.

As a tropical storm, Franklin made a relatively mild run across the Yucatan Peninsula earlier in the week. Mexico Civil Defence director Ricardo de la Cruz said Tuesday that the storm’s impact on Yucatan was not as bad as initially feared, with some trees down and power out in some areas.