The tourist destinations of Cancun and Cozumel in Mexico are now under hurricane warnings as tropical storm Grace heads towards the country.

Forecasters expected the storm to strengthen and will become the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season. Weather experts said Grace would make landfall in Mexico late Friday or early Saturday.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), a portion of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, including Cancun, Punta Herrero and Cozumel, is already under a hurricane warning as of 5 a.m. Wednesday.

A hurricane watch was also posted for the Cayman Islands, where hurricane conditions are possible on Wednesday, Weather.com reported. 

The NHC said a hurricane warning is usually issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds. Tropical storm Grace is expected to intensify over the northwest Caribbean and eventually threaten parts of Mexico later this week.

Based on the forecast track, the NHC said the center of tropical storm Grace would continue to move near or over the Cayman Islands on Wednesday morning. 

It will approach the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico on Wednesday evening or early Thursday. Grace is seen to strengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday evening, with some additional strengthening possible before the center reaches the eastern Yucatan Peninsula.

As of early Wednesday, Grace was located 40 miles south-southeast of the island of Grand Cayman or 440 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico. The storm's maximum sustained winds increased to near 65 mph with higher gusts.

According to Weather.com, parts of Jamaica, southern Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula might see 3 to 6 inches of rainfall or up to 10 inches through Thursday. 

A storm surge of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels is seen for areas near and north of where Grace is expected to make landfall along the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula.

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Tropical Storm Grace Follows Tropical Storm Fred's Landfall in Florida

According to USA Today, tropical storm Grace lined up behind tropical storm Fred that made landfall in Florida on Monday afternoon.

Fred has made landfall near Cape San Blas, and it mostly affected the eastern part of the Panhandle. The said tropical storm passed across the Gulf of Mexico before it hit Florida. Fred is expected to weaken as it moved into the Mid-Atlantic.

The NHC is also watching another storm. Tropical storm Henri, formed near Bermuda Monday, is now the eighth named storm of the Atlantic season.

The NHC said Henri is seen to become a hurricane with top winds of 80 mph. However, the storm is expected to remain far out in the Atlantic and may never threaten land.

Tropical Storm Grace in Haiti Amid Search for Earthquake Survivors

On Monday, CBS News reported that Grace already drenched the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which was struck by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.

Amid the search and rescue for survivors of the earthquake, Grace poured heavy rains in the area of operations. Officials said at least 1,941 people are known to have died in Haiti in the powerful earthquake.

Almost 10,000 people have also been reported injured, and many are still missing after the the 7.2-magnitude tremor on Saturday. 

Grace has earlier crossed over the southern Barahona peninsula of the Dominican Republic with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

READ MORE: Tropical Storm Fred Makes Landfall in Florida; Two More Tropical Disturbances Being Watched

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Will Tropical Storm Grace Turn Into a Hurricane? - From WFAA