Hurricane Francine picks up speed as it heads towards Louisiana

Hurricane Francine has begun its race to the coast, accelerating as it nears landfall in coastal St. Mary Parish.

The National Hurricane Center says Francine continues to maintain Category 1 status, with its maximum sustained winds holding at 90 miles per hour and its minimum barometric pressure staying at 976 millibars. Francine is moving northeast at 16 miles per hour, faster than the 12-mile-per-hour clip the storm had early Wednesday morning.

Francine's center of circulation is located at 28.6° North, 92.1° West, about 155 miles southwest of New Orleans. An oil platform just north of the eye reported sustained winds of 85 miles per hour and wind gusts of 100 miles per hour just before noon on Wednesday.

Although wind shear and dry air are keeping Francine from strengthening, Francine is causing problems along the Louisiana coast. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Plaquemines Parish after noticing rotational winds in the storm's rain bands. New Orleans is under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. Wednesday.