Tropic Storm Karl became a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and now threatens eastern Mexican Veracruz with a direct strike, the U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said in statement on its website.

The NHC is forecasting the hurricane will come onshore somewhere between Cabo Rojo and Palma Sola, both on the Veracruz shore. Within this area, "preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the NHC said.

The agency said that Karl is a category one storm, but could strengthen further before reaching land. The storm now has steady winds of more than 120 km per hour (khp) with gusts that go much faster.

The statement warned that seas in the affected area could rise close to 3 meters above normal high tide levels, "accompanied by large and destructive waves." The storm will also bring rains of up to 380 millimetres (mm) across Mexico's Gulf coast, the statement said.

On Wednesday, Karl dumped rain over the Yucatan Peninsula, which hosts the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Campeche. Carribbean cost resort city Chetumal was the worst hit, with 600 homes flooded, but without loss of life.