Tropical Storm Rafael is quickly intensifying, with the National Hurricane Center predicting potential hurricane-strength winds impacting the US over the next few days.
Currently, Rafael is located just south of Jamaica, moving northwest toward the Cayman Islands and Cuba, with forecasts indicating it may reach hurricane status by tonight.
It is expected to make landfall in Cuba by Wednesday morning, then travel towards Florida or Louisiana by the weekend. There is still significant unpredictability with this storm, with some tracks even having it coming to the Carolinas early next week.
Timeline of Tropical Storm Rafael:
- Tuesday Afternoon: Expected to reach the Cayman Islands.
- Wednesday Morning: Predicted landfall in Cuba as a hurricane.
- Wednesday Evening: Expected to impact the Florida Keys.
- Saturday: Potential landfall somewhere along the gulf coast.
Rafael, the 17th named storm this season, reflects NOAA’s prediction of an above-average hurricane season with between 17 to 25 storms (considering there are still 25 days remaining in the Atlantic Hurricane season).
