Tropical Storm Grace strengthened slightly early Saturday but is expected to weaken in the Leeward Islands later in the day as Fred weakened from a tropical depression to a tropical wave before it is expected to re-develop Sunday over the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Grace was about 425 kilometers east-southeast of the Leeward Islands as it traveled west at 37 kilometers per hour, while Fred was located about 80 kilometers west of Havana as it moved west-northwest at 19 kilometers per hour.
With an eye on Grace, the Dominican Republic issued a tropical storm watch “for the south coast of the Dominican Republic from Punta Caucedo eastward to Cabo Engano, and for the north coast from Cabo Frances Viejo eastward to Cabo Engano,” the NHC said.
The NHC also said the tropical storm warning for the U.S. Florida Keys has been discontinued due to the weakening of Fred.
