Texas on standby for Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike moved across the Gulf of Mexico today on its way towards the Texas coast after crashing through Cuba and toppling ageing Havana buildings.

Forecasters said the Category-1 storm was already strengthening over open waters after leaving Cuba and could grow into a massive Category-3 storm before slamming into Texas, northern Mexico or western Louisiana.

Ike has already killed at least 80 people in the Caribbean, and Texas put 7,500 National Guard members on standby and urged coastal residents to stock up on supplies.

Cuban state television said some 2.6 million people - nearly a quarter of the island's population - sought refuge from Ike, which killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes as it swept across the country.

As it left Cuba, Hurricane Ike delivered a blow to towns such as Los Palacios, which already suffered a direct hit from a Category-4 Hurricane Gustav on August 30.

Gustav damaged at least 100,000 homes but did not kill anyone because of massive evacuations.

Cubans were ordered to evacuate for Ike as well, with those in low-lying or wooden homes seeking safety with friends or relatives in sturdier structures. Others were taken to government shelters.

Early today, Ike was located 100 miles north-northeast of Cabo San Antonio on the western tip of Cuba and moving west-northwest at 7mph. Maximum sustained winds remained near 80mph, still at Category-1 storm level.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lowell was off Mexico's Pacific coast, projected to cut across the Baja California Peninsula today or tomorrow and emerge over the Gulf of California near the town of Loreto, popular with US tourists.

It had maximum sustained winds of 45mph, but was expected to weaken before hitting land.