Mapped: Charting Hurricane Rafael’s path through the Gulf of Mexico
The Category 2 storm is forecast to weaken over the next few days as it churns westward in the Gulf of Mexico
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Your support makes all the difference.Hurricane Rafael weakened to a Category 2 storm early Thursday morning after the storm walloped Cuba, knocking out the entire country’s power grid.
The system, with maximum wind speeds of 105mph, was moving slower through the Gulf of Mexico and heading northwest.
Forecasters said it was anticipated to turn to the west later in the day, and move in that direction through the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center, whose hurricane hunters are investigating the storm, expects Rafael to weaken over the next few days.
While watches and warnings were no longer in effect for Rafael, Cuba will see up to four more inches of rain on Thursday. That would bring total rainfall from Rafael to 12 inches in portions of western Cuba. Mudslides and flash flooding are still possible in the Caribbean country, which was recovering from another hurricane that killed at least six people two weeks ago.
Ocean swells generated by the hurricane are expected to spread across the Gulf from east to west over the next several days.
“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the hurricane center warned.
In addition, tropical-storm-force winds are expected for the Dry Tortugas — islands near Key West — through the morning.
While Rafael meanders in the Gulf, it remains unclear exactly how much the US will be affected. It will likely never make landfall.
“Everyone along the Gulf coast should closely monitor forecast updates. The trend is favoring less impacts from Rafael this weekend and early next week,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said in a statement.
“Dry air and intense wind shear will tear Rafael apart in the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane will quickly lose wind intensity as it approaches the coast. There is a possibility that Rafael could end up meandering in the Gulf off the coast of Louisiana and never make landfall in the U.S. as it falls apart into a cluster of thunderstorms.”
AccuWeather meteorologists said Wednesday, before the hurricane hit Cuba, that it could bring as many as 15 inches of rain to parts of the Southeast. Florida was already hit with gusty winds and pelted by showers on Wednesday.
This week, other Gulf Coast states have seen severe weather, including tornadoes.
Rafael is the 17th named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. This season was forecast to be well above average and warm waters in the Gulf — more likely due to climate change — have made for ripe hurricane conditions.
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