Ida has become a tropical storm again with top winds of 72km/h as it swirls in the Caribbean on a track that could bring it to the US Gulf Coast next week.

Ida came ashore in Nicaragua as a hurricane on Thursday before weakening and dumping rain on Central America. Thousands were evacuated but no deaths were reported.

The storm edged back over the Caribbean the next day, where nourishing waters are helping build its muscle back.

The still tentative forecast track showed Ida grazing the Cancun region of Mexico early next week, then taking aim at the US Gulf Coast.

Early on Saturday, the storm was centred about 215km northeast of Limon Honduras, and it was moving north at nearly 13km/h.