Hurricane Rafael intensifies as it approaches western Cuba and the Cayman Islands
Hurricane Rafael is moving through the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to reach western Cuba today. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and is likely to intensify into a Category 2 hurricane before landfall. A hurricane warning is in effect for the Cayman Islands and several provinces in Cuba. Tropical storm conditions are also expected in parts of west-central Cuba and the Florida Keys later today. Historically, November hurricanes rarely make landfall in the U.S. Rafael may weaken to a tropical storm by the weekend as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast, but impacts remain uncertain.