MIAMI, United States. – Hurricane Rafael reached category three on the Saffir-Simpson scale around noon this Wednesday, as it approaches the western coast of Cuba, according to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) in your 1:00 p.m. bulletin
The powerful cyclone is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge, intense winds and flash flooding to portions of western Cuba, the NHC warned.
At 1:00 in the afternoon, the center of Rafael was located at 22 degrees North latitude and 82.3 degrees West longitude, about 65 kilometers northeast of the Isle of Youth and approximately 135 kilometers south. of Havana. The hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour and is moving towards the northwest at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour.
The Cuban provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Havana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and Isla de la Juventud are under a Hurricane Warning. For their part, Villa Clara and Cienfuegos are under Tropical Storm Warning. “A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning areas,” the NHC explained.
Rafael is expected to make landfall in western Cuba this afternoon. “Some additional strengthening is likely before Rafael makes landfall in Cuba this afternoon,” the report notes. Although a weakening is expected when crossing over Cuban territory, the cyclone could still emerge in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane.
Meteorological authorities warn of the danger of flooding and landslides due to heavy rains. “Rainfall totals of 100 to 200 millimeters are expected in portions of western Cuba, with isolated higher totals of up to 300 millimeters,” the NHC bulletin states.
Additionally, significant storm surge is forecast for the southern coast of the western provinces. “The storm surge could raise water levels up to 2.7 to 4.3 meters above normal tide levels in onshore wind areas along the southern coast of Cuba in the Hurricane Warning area, including the Isle of Youth,” the NHC also warned.
Hurricane-force winds extend up to 30 kilometers from the center of the cyclone, while tropical storm-force winds reach up to 185 kilometers. In Cayo Largo del Sur, a weather station recorded sustained winds of 93 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 134 kilometers per hour in the last few hours.
Hurricane conditions are expected to persist in western Cuba and the Isle of Youth until the evening. The central provinces will also experience tropical storm conditions during the day and evening today.
