At least six people were confirmed dead in Mexico after Tropical Storm Arlene drenched much of the country with heavy rains and left thousands homeless, officials said.

The first named storm of the Atlantic season barreled ashore along Mexico's Gulf coast on Thursday, dumping several centimeters (inches) of rain in areas still recovering from last year's wettest season on record.

Three people died in Hidalgo state, where swollen rivers burst their banks forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes, Civil Protection force director Miguel Garcia said.

Two people died in Tamaulipas state, including a bricklayer who was struck by a live electrical cable that snapped in strong winds.

Much of the country was subjected to the foul weather, including the capital Mexico City and its outskirts, where a child's death Friday was blamed on the storm, and the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco.

Mexico's Weather Service said at least a dozen districts in central and northern Mexico were on alert for "intense and occasionally torrential" rains from the remnants of Arlene, whose winds weakened substantially after heading inland but still carried heavy moisture.

Some 278,000 people were left homeless or otherwise impacted by the storm, according to provisional tallies.

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