Tropical Storm Grace, located Tuesday morning in the Caribbean Sea, has triggered a hurricane watch for the Yucatán Peninsula.
The National Meteorological Service reported at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday that the storm was near Jamaica, about 1,095 kilometers east-southeast of the Quintana Roo coast, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of 100.
The weather service warned that there was a high probability that hurricane effects could be felt Wednesday in the north of Quintana Roo from Cabo Catoche, Holbox Island, to about 250 kilometers south at Punta Allen.
The approach of the storm is likely to generate heavy rain, strong wind and powerful waves.
The service predicted that the storm will come within 50 kilometers of Tulum at 1:00 a.m. Thursday, before moving north within 45 kilometers of Celestún, Yucatán, at 1:00 p.m. and will continue north toward Veracruz. Grace is expected to be 50 kilometers from Cabo Rojo on Saturday, and veer from the coast as it continues northward toward Tamaulipas on Sunday.
Despite tropical storms affecting Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti, the hurricane watch for the Yucatán Peninsula is the only one in the region, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
