The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Grace, in the Caribbean, is likely to become a hurricane later Wednesday, while Tropical Storm Henri, in the Atlantic, could reach hurricane status later in the week.
In its latest report, forecasters with the hurricane center say Grace is 65 kilometers south-southeast of Grand Cayman Island and moving west toward Mexico at 26 kilometers per hour. Grace’s maximum sustained winds are about 100 kilometers per hour. The system is expected to move near or over the Cayman Islands Wednesday.
Forecasters say some additional strengthening is possible prior to the center reaching the eastern Yucatan Peninsula. Hurricane warnings are in effect for that area, including Cozumel. A hurricane watch is in effect for the Cayman Islands.
Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, forecasters are watching Tropical Storm Henri, which is currently about 260 kilometers south to southwest of Bermuda and moving west. Its current maximum sustained winds are also at about 100 kilometers per hour. They say the storm is expected to move to the north-northwest Thursday.
While the forecasters say they do not expect the storm to strengthen significantly in the next 24 hours, it could be a hurricane by Friday and by Sunday or Monday, affecting the northeastern United States.
The hurricane center advises due to the increased uncertainty in the track forecast, people living along the New England coast should monitor the progress of the storm.
