Tropical storm Ida strengthens over Cayman Islands

Tropical storm Ida has strengthened as its center passes through the Cayman Islands, and is forecast to pass over western Cuba later on Friday and reach the U.S. northern Gulf coast on Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The storm is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north-northwest of Grand Cayman, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 km per hour), the NHC added.