Hurricane Rafael, now a Category 2 storm, is rapidly intensifying as it approaches Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that Rafael has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and is expected to make landfall in western Cuba later today as a major hurricane. The storm poses significant threats of damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge, and heavy rainfall that could lead to flooding and mudslides.
Rafael is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico still as a hurricane after making landfall in Cuba. The storm's exact path is uncertain, but it could potentially impact anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to the Texas coast. Gulf Coast residents are advised to stay updated and prepare for potential impacts.
As it enters the Gulf, drier air and stronger vertical wind shear are expected to weaken the hurricane by the time it draws close to the U.S. mainland.
The NHC is also tracking a tropical disturbance in the southwestern Atlantic, where a trough of low pressure is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms several hundred miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands.