MIAMI: Hurricane Alex, the first of the 2010 Atlantic season, roared ashore in northeastern Mexico late Wednesday south of the US border, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

The large cyclone gained strength throughout the day as it churned across the Gulf of Mexico, where oil clean-up operations to the north of the storm track were disrupted due to rough weather.

It hit the Mexican coast at 0200 GMT Thursday about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the town of La Pesca, with winds up to 105 miles (169 kilometers) per hour.


BDST: 08:59 HRS, July 1, 2010