Rafael was a major storm when it made landfall in Cuba with maximum wind speeds of 115 mph.
Hurricane Rafael made landfall in the Cuban province of Artemisa on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 hurricane after it caused power outages and flooding in its trek past Jamaica and the Cayman Islands earlier in the day.
Rafael became a hurricane on Tuesday night, and the storm achieved major hurricane status on Wednesday before it made landfall in Cuba at 4:15 p.m. Eastern time. As of the most recent National Hurricane Center (NHC) update on Wednesday afternoon, Rafael had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. It will likely weaken as it moves over Cuba but emerge in the Gulf of Mexico and maintain hurricane status on Wednesday night.Where Is Hurricane Rafael Now?
The NHC update found that Rafael’s center was located near latitude 22.6 north, longitude 82.7 west, near western Cuba, though the storm appears to be passing through Havana in more recent footage. The storm was moving northwest at around 13 mph.
“A general northwestward motion is anticipated tonight”, the NHC said. “A slower west-northwestward to westward motion is expected Friday through the weekend. On the forecast track, Rafael is expected to cross Cuba this evening, and emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico later this evening or tonight. Rafael is forecast to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico this weekend.”
Cuban officials canceled flights in Havana and Varadero in advance of the storm’s arrival, and thousands of people were evacuated, the Associated Press reported.
