SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Rafael headed toward Cuba on Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall in western Cuba. It is a major Category 3 hurricane that forecasters say could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash flooding.

Thousands of people in the west of the island were evacuated as a precaution before Rafael stormed into Cuba on Wednesday after dumping rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday.

Classes and public transport were suspended in parts of the island as authorities sounded an alarm over the weather forecast for the west of the country. Workers secured buildings and cleared trash along Havana’s coast in anticipation of flooding.

“Preparations to protect life and property must be completed as quickly as possible,” warned the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Rafael – currently classified as a Category 2 hurricane – was located about 95 kilometers east-southeast of the Isle of Youth and about 205 kilometers south-southeast of Havana on Wednesday. It had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph) and was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), according to the center.

Forecasters expected the storm to then weaken over Cuba before strengthening into a hurricane in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Cubans have already struggled with power outages as they recovered from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island.

The US State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to non-essential personnel and US citizens, and advising others to “reconsider travel to Cuba due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.

On Tuesday morning, Cuban Civil Defense called on Cubans to prepare as soon as possible, because when the storm makes landfall, “it is important to stay where you are.”

A hurricane warning was in effect Wednesday for part of the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, and Ciego de Avila, as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys, from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge, and Dry Turtles.

Tuesday’s storm knocked out power to parts of Jamaica and caused flooding and landslides. Jamaica Public Service, the island’s electricity provider, said in a statement Tuesday that impassable roads were preventing crews from restoring power to some areas.

Meanwhile, crews from Little Cayman and Cayman Brac were expected to deploy early Wednesday to assess damage after a direct hit Tuesday evening.

Power outages were reported in the Cayman Islands and schools remained closed on Wednesday.

“Although conditions have improved on Grand Cayman, residents are advised to exercise extreme caution on roads and near coasts as rough seas and residual flooding risks may persist,” he said. indicated the government in a press release.

Forecasters warned that Rafael would trigger heavy rains in the western Caribbean, likely to cause flooding and mudslides in parts of Cuba and the Cayman Islands.

Heavy rain is also expected to spread northward toward Florida and neighboring areas of the southeastern United States by mid- to late-week. The Hurricane Center predicted storm surges in Florida could reach 1 to 3 feet in Dry Tortugas and 1 to 2 feet in the Lower Florida Keys. A few tornadoes were also expected Wednesday across the Keys and southwest Florida.

Rafael is the 17th Storm named of the season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the 2024 hurricane season will likely be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. Forecasts called for up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

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Associated Press reporter Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.