Strong winds caused by Hurricane Dolly strike palm trees and cars in Matamoros, Mexico, July 23, 2008. Hurricane Dolly moved inland after tearing into the south Texas coast on Wednesday with 95 mph (150 kph) winds, pouring torrential rain on the US-Mexico border area and threatening floods. Dolly, the second hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, dropped up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in the first few hours after coming ashore at the barrier island of South Padre Island, where it ripped off roofs, bent palm trees in half and left thousands of residents without power.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) 

Hurricane Dolly is causing intense rainfall and strong winds in the northeast states of Mexico and the southern United States after it hit the south Texas coast Wednesday morning.

According to Mexico's National Meteorological Service (SMN), the center of the hurricane is now located in Mexico's coastal state of Tamaulipas.

Governor of Tamaulipas Eugenio Hernandez declared a maximum danger red alert in the state, where some 13,000 people have been evacuated by the Mexican Army and Civil Defense.

The Civil Defense services asked people to avoid leaving their homes or the shelters where they have been located. No casualties have so far been reported.

Forecaster Jaime Albarran said Dolly, with winds of up to 140 km per hour Wednesday morning, has become a "fairly predictable" hurricane and rejected speculation it might strengthen.

Dolly, which became a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale as it struck land Wednesday, has downgraded to category One.