TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Rafael is now a Category 3 storm ahead of landfall in Cuba on Tuesday.
What You Need to Know:
- It is moving northwest near 14 mph.
- Sustained winds are currently at 115 mph.
- A Hurricane Warning is issued for parts of Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
- Impacts to the area with the current track are expected to be minimal, according to Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips.
At 1 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Rafael is moving at 14 mph. A northwestward turn with a little more acceleration is expected over the next few days, according to the NHC.
Maximum sustained winds are around 115 mph with higher gusts. The system is forecast to move through the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday night.
A Hurricane WARNING is in effect for:
- Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Meyabeque, Matanzas, and the Isle of Youth
A Tropical Storm WARNING is in effect for:
- Cuban Cuban provinces of Villa Clara and Cienfuegos.
- Lower and middle Florida Keys
- Dry Tortugas
Remember Denis Phillips' Rule #7.
"10 a.m. advisory is in. Rafael is now forecast to be a major hurricane with 115 mph winds as it makes landfall in western Cuba later today. The track then turns it due west in the Gulf, away from Florida, with no real impacts on Tampa Bay if this track holds. Over the weekend, the storm will encounter strong shear and weaken to a minimal tropical storm or tropical depression," Phillips said.
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