MIAMI (AFP) - As Hurricane Irma tore through the Caribbean, a tropical storm in the Atlantic and another in the Gulf of Mexico were upgraded to hurricane status on Wednesday (Sept 6), the National Hurricane Cenre said.

Hurricane Jose was 1,675km east of the Lesser Antilles in the Atlantic and packing maximum sustained winds of 120kmh, the NHC said.

It was considered a Category One hurricane on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale.

The NHC said that tropical storm Katia in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico had also become a Category One hurricane.

It said a hurricane watch was in effect for the coast of the Mexican state of Veracruz where heavy rainfall could be expected.

Hurricane Irma, a Category Five storm further to the west, is currently battering the Caribbean and threatening Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and south Florida.