Tropical Storm Nate Downgraded Over Mexico as Maria Moves From Caribbean

By Ann Koh and Lananh Nguyen - Sep 12, 2011 7:07 PM GMT+0700

Nate weakened as the storm moved over Mexico with heavy rains and has been downgraded to a post- tropical system, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Seven oil rig workers were found alive in a lifeboat in the Gulf of Mexico while two died and one remains missing, Petroleos Mexicanos said.

The remnants of Nate were about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west-southwest of Tuxpan, Mexico, with maximum winds of 30 mph, the NHC said in its final advisory for the storm.

The Mexican Navy found seven of the 10 missing oil rig workers and transferred them by helicopter to Carmen City, Pemex said in a statement. In a conflicting report, Heliservicio De Campeche, an airlifting contractor, said 10 workers were found alive.

Tropical Storm Maria moved further from the northeastern Caribbean with 60 mph winds and was 165 miles north of Puerto Rico, the center said today in a separate advisory. The storm was headed northwest at 9 mph.

A gradual turn toward the north is expected the next couple days, the NHC said. “The center of Maria will continue moving away from the islands of the northeastern Caribbean and pass well east of the southeastern Bahamas.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Ann Koh in Singapore at akoh15@bloomberg.net; Lananh Nguyen in London at lnguyen35@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alexander Kwiatkowski at akwiatkowsk2@bloomberg.net