Mexico, U.S. bracing for Nate

Mexico and the U.S. Gulf Coast are bracing for Tropical Storm Nate, the latest storm in a record hurricane season which has left at least 20 people dead across Central America.

According to reports, casualties were reported in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras on Thursday as Nate moved north over those countries. The storm is expected to make landfall in Mexico’s Yucatan region today, followed by the U.S. Gulf Coast on Saturday as a Category 1 hurricane. The U.S. National Hurricane Centre has issued warnings for the coastal regions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Air Canada and WestJet have issued advisories for travellers flying south.

The Government of Canada has issued an advisory to avoid non-essential travel to regions which may be affected by the storm, including "the Gulf Coast, from Morgan City, Louisiana eastward to the Mississippi-Alabama border, due to Tropical Storm Nate. This includes metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas."