TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Grace, the second hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, has made landfall just south of Tulum, Mexico, bringing strong winds and dangerous storm surge Yucatán Peninsula. The National Hurricane Center is also monitoring Tropical Storm Henri, which is expected to become a hurricane Friday.

Hurricane Grace

At about 5:45 a.m. ET, Grace was centered just 10 miles south of Tulum with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. It was moving west at 17 mph.

Grace is expected to weaken as it crosses the Yucatán Peninsula and strengthen again when the storm moves over the southwest Gulf of Mexico on Thursday night and Friday.

The Yucatán Peninsula could see 4 to 8 inches of rain with some areas seeing isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches. Grace could dump 5 to 10 inches over central to northern Veracruz, northern Puebla and into Hidalgo with some areas seeing up to 15 inches. Forecasters warn the heavy rain could lead to flash and urban flooding and mudslides.

Swells generated by Grace could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the southern coast of Cuba and the Yucatán.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

  • Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Cancun to Punta Herrero,
    including Cozumel

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

  • The coast of mainland Mexico from Puerto Veracruz to Cabo Rojo

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

  • Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from north of Cancun to Campeche
  • Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from south of Punta Herrero to Puerto
    Costa Maya

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

  • Southern coast Cuban province of Pinar del Rio, as well as Isla
    de la Juventud
  • The coast of mainland Mexico north of Cabo Rojo to Puerto de
    Altamira

Tropical Storm Henri

Residents in the Northeastern United States are being told to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Henri, which is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by Friday.

At 5 a.m. ET Thursday, Henri was 810 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, moving west at 9 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 80 miles from the storm’s center.

Henri is expected to turn toward the northwest Friday before it accelerates toward the north and northeast Saturday and Sunday. The storm’s center should remain well off the coast of the United States over the next couple days, but could approach New England on Sunday, the NHC said.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.