Hurricane Grace rapidly intensified to a major hurricane near Mexico on Friday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Hurricane Grace was located at latitude 20.7°N and longitude 96.3°W which put it about 75 miles (120 km) east-southeast of Tuxpan, Mexico. Grace was moving toward the west at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 140 m.p.h. (220 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 967 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Puerto Veracuz to Cabo Rojo, Mexico. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Rojo to Barra del Tordo, Mexico.

Hurricane Grace rapidly intensified to a major hurricane on Friday night. A circular eye with a diameter of 35 miles (55 km) was at the center of Grace. The eye was surround by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Grace. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease, which produced a rapid increase in the surface wind speed.

Hurricane Grace was an average sized hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Grace. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Grace was 22.1. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 11.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 33.3. Hurricane Grace was capable of regional major damage.

Hurricane Grace will move south of a high pressure system that extends over the Gulf of Mexico. The high pressure system will steer Grace toward the west during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track the center of Hurricane Grace will make landfall on the coast of Mexico between Tuxpan and Veracruz in a few hours. Grace will be capable of causing major wind damage. It will drop locally heavy rain and flash floods are likely. Hurricane Grace could cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) where the wind blows the water toward the coast. Grace will weaken quickly when it moves inland over Mexico, but heavy rain could cause flash floods over parts of Central Mexico,

Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Henri was moving toward the north off the East Coast of the U.S. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Henri was located at latitude 32.3°N and longitude 73.5°W which put it about 230 miles (375 km) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Henri was moving toward the north at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 70 m.p.h. (85 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 994 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for eastern Long Island from Fire Island Inlet to Port Jefferson Harbor. A Hurricane Warning was also in effect for the portion of the coast from New Haven, Connecticut to Watch Hill, Rhode Island. A Hurricane Watch was in effect from Watch Hill, Rhode Island to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts. The Hurricane Watch included Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the south coast of Long Island from East Rockaway Inlet to Fire Island Inlet. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the north coast of Long Island from East Rockaway Inlet to Port Jefferson, Harbor. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from East Rockaway Inlet to New Haven, Connecticut. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect from the portion of the coast from Watch Hill, Rhode Island to Wood Hole, Massachusetts. The Tropical Storm Warning included Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard. A Tropical Storm Warning was also in effect for the portion of the coast from East Rockaway Inlet, New York to Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey. The Tropical Storm Warning included New York City.