Hurricane Rafael has intensified into a Category 2 hurricane just hours before it is forecast to make landfall in Cuba, according to the United States National Weather Service.
Hurricane Rafael is located about 260km (160 miles) south-southeast of Havana, Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 160km/h (100mph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on Wednesday.
Rafael continues to strengthen and is expected to be on the cusp of “major hurricane” intensity – classified as Category 3 or above – at landfall in western Cuba, the NHC added.
It was another stroke of bad news for Cuba, which has been struggling with blackouts while recovering from Hurricane Oscar, which killed at least six people two weeks ago in the eastern part of the island.
Rafael is likely to exacerbate the island’s acute energy crisis, which has led to work stoppages and prolonged power outages in recent weeks due to decrepit infrastructure and a lack of fuel for Cuba’s oil-fired power stations.
Forecasters warned that Rafael was expected to slam into Cuba on Wednesday evening after dumping rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. The NHC warned of floods, storm surges and mudslides.
The US Department of State issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to nonessential staff and American citizens and advising others to “reconsider travel to Cuba due to the potential impact” of Rafael.
Also on Tuesday, the Cuban Civil Defence called on citizens to prepare as soon as possible because when the storm makes landfall, “it’s important to stay where you are.”
Authorities said they had issued an evacuation order for 37,000 people in far eastern Cuba in the province of Guantanamo due to bad weather.
A hurricane warning was in effect on Tuesday for a portion of the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys.
Warnings were lifted in Jamaica after the storm passed by the western coast.
Rafael on Tuesday knocked out power in Jamaica and unleashed flooding and landslides. The Jamaica Public Service, the island’s electricity provider, said in a statement late on Tuesday that impassable roads were preventing crews from restoring power in some areas.
Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane season was likely to be well above average with 17 to 25 named storms. The forecast called for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
Rafael is the 11th hurricane to form this year with four becoming major Category 3 storms with maximum sustained winds of 178km/h (111mph) or more.
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