Francine has strengthened into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and is advancing toward Louisiana.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Tuesday night that the storm powered up its maximum sustained winds to 120 km/h and gained Category 1 hurricane status about 563 kilometres southwest of Morgan City, La.

A hurricane warning is in effect along the Louisiana coast from the border with Texas eastward to Grand Isle, nearly 130 kilometres south of New Orleans.

The Miami-based NHC further said that the life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds expected to begin in Louisiana on Wednesday.

Storm surge warnings also are in effect in Texas and Louisiana.

Francine is the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Evacuation orders have been issued in some coastal Louisiana communities and residents have begun filling sandbags in preparation for heavy rains and widespread flooding.