After slamming Cuba, Hurricane Rafael heads west across the Gulf of Mexico

Alex Harris

November 7, 2024 at 8:03 a.m.·1 min read

Hurricane Rafael, a Category 2 storm, is expected to slowly trek west across the Gulf of Mexico for the next few days.

This path is lined with less friendly conditions than the Caribbean — biting wind shear, dry air and cooler waters — that could work together to weaken the storm. By Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said, Rafael could be a tropical storm again.

Thursday morning, a tropical storm warning for the Dry Tortugas was discontinued. No other watches and warnings remain. Forecasters said the storm could cause “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions throughout the Gulf.

As of Thursday’s 4 p.m. update, Rafael had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was headed west-northwest at 9 mph.

On Wednesday, Rafael made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, knocking out the nation’s beleaguered electrical grid once again. In October, the unexpected Hurricane Oscar slammed the eastern side of the country, killing eight people and damaging 20,000 homes.

MORE: As Hurricane Rafael slams into Cuba, the island’s power grid is knocked out once more

The chances a new tropical depression or storm will form north of Haiti have dropped to 20% in the next two to seven days.

The hurricane center also lowered the chances that a new tropical disturbance could form north of Puerto Rico and Haiti. As of 7 p.m. Thursday, forecasters said it had a 20% chance of developing into a tropical depression in the next two to seven days.

The next name on the list is Sara.

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