Tropical Storm Rafael strengthens as it heads toward Gulf Coast with hurricane warnings in effect
Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it moves northwest toward the Gulf Coast. A hurricane warning is currently in effect for the Cayman Islands and parts of Cuba, with Florida anticipating tropical storm conditions later this week.
The National Hurricane Center will provide updates every six hours, with the next forecast due at 4 p.m. EST. This hurricane season has seen 17 named storms so far, surpassing NOAA's earlier predictions of up to 13 hurricanes.
Forecasters noted that the Atlantic hurricane season could be unusually active due to factors like La Niña and warmer sea-surface temperatures. These conditions can lead to more frequent and intense storms.