Hurricane Dolly Downgraded After Making Landfall in Texas

Hurricane Dolly was downgraded back to a category one storm as it reached South Padre island in Texas today.

The National Hurricane Center had predicted Dolly would hit Texas and the north-east coast of Mexico at about midday local time (6pm BST).

"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," it said in a hurricane warning stretching from Corpus Christi in Texas to Rio San Fernando in Mexico.

Up to 15 inches (38cm) of rain was forecast to deluge some areas, threatening flooding that could breach levees in the heavily populated valleys of the Rio Grande.

"These rains will likely cause widespread flooding across portions of south Texas and north-east Mexico," the NCH warned.

"Persons are advised not to venture outdoors during the relative calm of the eye because winds will soon increase quite rapidly."

Dolly was upgraded from a tropical storm to a category one hurricane yesterday, making it the second hurricane of the season.

Earlier today it was raised to a category two hurricane, after it clocked wind speeds of 100mph 30 miles east of Brownsville on the US-Mexico border.

Texan officials said they would not order evacuations unless Dolly reached speeds of 111mph ? category three levels.

Texas governor Rick Perry issued disaster declarations for 14 counties before the storm made landfall, saying in a statement that the move would initiate necessary emergency preparations.

The port of Corpus Christi, which supplies three oil refineries, was forced to close last night. More than one thousand troops have been put on alert in 14 low-lying areas.

Johnny Cavazos, the emergency management coordinator for Cameron county, told Reuters that levees holding back the Rio Grande could fail if Dolly drives a surge of water from the mouth of the river inland. He said the flood defenses had "seriously deteriorated" in the last 40 years.