MIAMI – Hurricane Raphael continues to intensify as it crosses the Caribbean Sea, and forecasters now say the late-season storm is expected to strengthen into a major storm. hurricane before its planned landing in Cuba on Wednesday.

Millions of people along the We Gulf Coast Texas has Florida keep their eyes glued to the hurricane that is hitting Cuba with destructive hurricane force. windsa danger of death storm surge and destructive waves along the coast.

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The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that although rapid strengthening is expected to continue, Rafael is expected to weaken briefly as it crosses western Cuba. However, the storm is expected to remain at hurricane force (74 mph or greater) as it emerges into the Gulf of Mexico.

Rafael crisscrossed parts of the western Caribbean on his journey to Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico, and the NHC expressed concern that torrential rains could cause flash flood And mudslides on the heights of Cuba.

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Tropical storm Conditions are expected across the lower and middle Florida Islands beginning Wednesday and continuing through Wednesday evening.

Heavy rain is expected in the western Caribbean until Thursday morning, particularly in the Cayman Islands and western Cuba. The NHC said rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches are expected in parts of Cuba, with locally higher amounts of up to 12 inches in the highest terrain. An additional 2 to 4 inches could fall on the Cayman Islands.

In the lower and middle Florida Keys, rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected.

Forecasters are also concerned about the possibility of a life-threatening storm surge. The NHC said a storm surge of 9 to 14 feet above normal high tide levels is possible in areas of outflow winds along the southern coast of Cuba, within the warning zone of hurricane, including the Isle of Youth.

Storm surge of 1 to 3 feet is forecast for the Dry Tortugas National park area, with 1 to 2 feet expected in the lower Florida Keys.

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According to the latest NHC advisory, Rafael is approximately 60 miles east-southeast of the Isle of Youth and moving northwest at 14 mph.

Rafael has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, making it a top of the line Category 2 hurricane. Official forecasts predict the hurricane will intensify with winds reaching 185 km/h, making it a Category 3 hurricane.

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A Hurricane Warning remains in effect throughout western Cuba, including Havana.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the lower and middle Florida Keys from West Key at the Channel 5 Bridge, as well as for the Dry Tortugas. Central Cuba is also under a tropical storm warning.

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According to the NHC, Rafael is expected to continue moving northwest for one or two days, followed by a gradual turn west-northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico. On this track, Rafael is expected to move near or just east of the Isle of Youth over the next few hours and make landfall west of Cuba later Wednesday. Rafael will then emerge into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday evening.

From there, computer forecasting models disagree as to exactly where Rafael is headed.

“It is too early to determine what impacts, if any, Rafael may have on portions of the northern Gulf Coast,” the NHC said. “Residents in this area should monitor forecast updates regularly.”

Original article source: Rafael expected to become a major hurricane before landfall in Cuba as late-season storm intensifies