Grace made landfall near Tulum, southern Mexico 0:50
(CNN) -
Grace is back to hurricane force and is expected to make landfall for the second time in Mexico on Friday, triggering heavy rains that are likely to cause flooding over the weekend.
Air Force hurricane hunters have discovered that Grace has strengthened into a hurricane with 137 km / h winds and stronger gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center at 8 a.m. ET.
Grace is expected to impact east-central Mexico starting today and continue to strengthen until it makes landfall overnight.
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View of a shopping center during the arrival of Hurricane Grace to Tulum, in the Riviera Maya, in Mexico.
(Photo: ELIZABETH RUIZ / AFP via Getty Images)
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When Hurricane Grace made landfall in Tulum, it knocked down traffic signals and left fallen trees and branches.
(Photo: ELIZABETH RUIZ / AFP via Getty Images)
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Local workers clean the streets after the passage of Hurricane Grace in Tulum, in Quintana Roo, Mexico, on August 19, 2021. (Photo: ELIZABETH RUIZ / AFP via Getty Images)
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Local residents remove branches and debris left by Hurricane Grace in Tulum, Mexico, on August 19, 2021. (AP Photo / Marco Ugarte)
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Workers repair a communications antenna that was affected by the passage of Hurricane Grace, in Quintana Roo.
(Photo: ELIZABETH RUIZ / AFP via Getty Images)
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View of an avenue after the passage of Hurricane Grace, which hit Tulum with winds of 130 km / h.
(Photo: ELIZABETH RUIZ / AFP via Getty Images)
Storm surge could reach 1.5 meters along the coast and up to 46 centimeters of rain is forecast through Sunday, which could lead to flash flooding inland.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Mexico from Puerto Veracruz north to Cabo Rojo.
A warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area;
an alert indicates that hurricane conditions are possible in that area.
Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo de México, northern Querétaro and eastern San Luis Potosí can see between 15 and 30 centimeters of rain with isolated totals of up to 46 centimeters from Friday to Sunday.
Those conditions could lead to flash flooding and urban flooding, as well as landslides.
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"Near the coast, the swell will be accompanied by large and destructive waves," the center said.
Grace weakens to tropical storm, but expected to strengthen in Gulf
Grace already hit Mexico once before
When Grace first hit Mexico, it traversed the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday and weakened into a tropical storm, enduring 130km / h with higher gusts.
The east coast of Yucatán, including Cancun, Cozumel and Punta Herrero, were under a hurricane warning since Tuesday as Grace was organizing herself better as she moved westward, hitting Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Businesses prepared to make landfall and at least 125 tourists were evacuated from hotels to shelters, Quintana Roo state governor Carlos Joaquín González said Wednesday.
"In Tulum, hotels have been evacuated and tourists taken to different hotel shelters," González said on Twitter.
In Quintana Roo work activities were suspended.
Local leaders called on businesses to close temporarily and urged residents to stay at home or in shelters.
"The crossings from Cancun to Isla Mujeres were suspended; all ports are already closed to navigation. Waves of up to 4 meters high are expected," González said.
Preparing for a hurricane: these tips could save your life
Earlier this week, Grace also passed over Haiti, which was recovering from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 1,941 people.
About 1.2 million people, including 540,000 children, were affected by the earthquake, according to Unicef.
CNN's Michael Guy, Travis Caldwell, Taylor Ward, Mallika Kallingal, Madeline Holcombe and Judson Jones contributed to this report.
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