Hurricane Rafael rages to major Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds

Orlando Weather Forecast: Nov. 6, 2024

Thursday will bring another day of clouds and passing showers with highs in the low 80s.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Hurricane Rafael strengthened into a major Category 3 storm as it impacted Cuba on Wednesday, before moving into the Gulf of Mexico.

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, Rafael was located about 55 miles west-northwest of Havana with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles an hour, moving northwest at 13 miles an hour.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Rafael will bring heavy rain, flash flooding and mudslides to western Cuba on Wednesday and into Thursday.

The NHC says the storm will also bring heavy rain to portions of the western Caribbean, including Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, through early Thursday.

Is Hurricane Rafael headed toward Florida?

Hurricane Rafael is not expected to make a direct hit or landfall in Florida. In fact, it's expected to stay more than 350 miles west of Florida's gulf coast.

However, Central Florida will feel some of the impacts as the hurricane's outerbands impact the state, including torrential downpours and gusty winds. There is a chance for a brief tornado, the FOX 35 Storm Team said.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Florida Keys.

When does hurricane season end?

The hurricane season runs between June 1 and November 30, 2024.

Rafael is the 17th named storm and 11th hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

It is projected by the National Hurricane Center to make landfall in Louisiana or Mississippi this weekend as a Tropical Storm, which is extremely rare. A tropical system has never made landfall in either of those states during November on record (since 1851).

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