Tropical Storm Ernesto has weakened to a tropical depression as it moves inland over Mexico, killing seven people and dumping rains in the mountains of Mexico’s flood-prone southern Gulf region.

Sealers took to the thawing ice floes off the Atlantic Ocean today, the first day of Canada’s contentious seal hunt, which animal rights activist claim is barbaric and not economically worth the bad publicity.

Thousands fled as the outer edge of Hurricane Emily lashed coastal areas around the Texas-Mexico border and its already powerful centre continued to strengthen just offshore.