()— Raphael intensified to a major Category 3 hurricane this Wednesday afternoon, according to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The hurricane has sustained winds of 185 km/h with stronger gusts and is “about to make landfall in western Cuba,” the NHC indicated in its 4 pm ET update.
The NHC added that Rafael will bring “life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds, and flash flooding to portions of western Cuba.”
Check the areas here that are under some type of alert due to the passage of Hurricane Rafael.
Rafael is the fifth major hurricane of 2024 for the Atlantic basin and the strongest tropical cyclone this time of year since 2020. Major hurricanes are Category 3 or stronger storms.
“Some further strengthening is likely before Rafael makes landfall in Cuba this afternoon,” the NHC warned. “Rafael is forecast to weaken over Cuba, but is expected to emerge in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane.”
Hurricane Rafael has seen its maximum winds increase by 89 km/h, from 96 km/h to 185 km/h in the last 24 hours, far exceeding the increase of 56 km/h necessary for a tropical cyclone to intensify rapidly.
The last major hurricane to hit Cuba was Hurricane Ian in 2022, but the nation has not been hit by a major hurricane in November since Michelle in 2001.
The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said this Wednesday that the island is preparing for Rafael’s onslaught.
“We are in constant communication with the territories that will feel the greatest effects of Hurricane Rafael. We have prepared well and will immediately be moving on to recovery. Strong Cuba!” Díaz-Canel said in X.
–Verónica Calderón, from Español, contributed to this report.
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