National Hurricane Center: Tropical Storm Isaac's 2012 Path Map; Could Become a Hurricane by Friday

Tropical Storm Isaac could become a hurricane by Friday before reaching the island of Hispaniola the National Hurricane Center advised on Thursday.

The Miami-based center issued a hurricane warning for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Tropical storm warnings and watches are still in effect for many other Caribbean islands that are reportedly on its path or route.

Isaac, which reached maximum sustained winds of 40 mph on Thursday, is travelling west at 13 mph and is about 265 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is expected to continue its track towards the west-northwest today and continue into Friday.

According to Reuters, the storm forced authorities at Guantanamo Bay to postpone the pretrial hearings set to start on Thursday for five prisoners accused of plotting the September 11 attacks. Evacuation flights for legal teams, journalists and family members of 9/11 victims were being prepared by the U.S. military the report said.

Organizers of the Republican National Convention in Tampa continued on high alert as Isaac makes its way across the Caribbean. On Wednesday, convention spokesman Kyle Downey told CNN, "We're monitoring the situation very closely. We are working closely with state, federal and local officials and plan on putting on a great convention."

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, however, told CNN he wasn't worried about Isaac reaching the city. "We're watching it. We're tracking it. I think we're going to be OK but we'll be prepared in the event it heads this way."

The Republican National Convention, which is set to begin on Monday, will officially nominate Mitt Romney as its presidential candidate.

According to Reuters, Florida has not been hit by a major hurricane since 2005 but the threat of Isaac has already left its mark. Orange juice prices climbed 6 percent on Wednesday, reaching a six week high in trading in New York the report said.   

Isaac is being trailed by another tropical depression located about 1045 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. However, Reuters reports that forecasts predicted it will eventually veer away from the Caribbean.

Updated Path Projection: