This satellite image taken by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows a mass of clouds east of the Yucatan Peninsula early Saturday. (Associated Press)Tropical Storm Ida has been regaining strength over the Caribbean, prompting warnings for parts of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, western Cuba and Grand Cayman Island.

Ida was centered about 370 kilometres southeast of Cozumel and moving north at 15 km/h on Saturday afternoon. Forecasters said it would likely pass the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm had winds of around 95 km/h and could hit the U.S. Gulf Coast early next week.

John Cangialosi, a specialist at the centre, said that as Ida heads north across the Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to meet a cold front that is moving south — making longer-term forecasts complicated for now.

"There's going to be some sort of interaction between the two, but where they interact, and how, and the timing of the thing, that's kind of the big question mark," Cangialosi said.

Regardless of how the cold front affects the tropical system, forecasters said people living in central Gulf Coast states can expect strong winds and heavy rain.

With files from The Associated Press