As it moved away from Cuba and into the southern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning, Rafael was a Category 2 storm.
Rafael is moving westward across the Gulf, which might keep the storm far from the northern Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center’s most recent long-range forecast.
As of Thursday morning, all coastal watches and warnings have been canceled due to the storm.
According to the most recent track projection, Rafael will be in the western Gulf by Monday and is predicted to deteriorate into a tropical storm; the U.S. is not included in the cone of uncertainty.
Through the weekend, Alabama beaches might be at high danger of rip currents due to the storm’s potential to churn up the Gulf.
The National Weather Service’s coastal outlook for Alabama and northwest Florida is as follows:
Hurricane Rafael’s core was roughly 195 miles west of Key West, Florida, and was heading northwest at a speed of 9 mph as of 6 a.m. CST on Thursday.
Rafael was a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Rafael hit shore in western Cuba on Wednesday with a maximum wind speed of 115 mph (Category 3).
Rafael may continue to be a hurricane until Sunday, according to the hurricane center, while some weakening is anticipated over the coming days.
Later tonight, the storm is predicted to shift westward and stay that way through at least Saturday. Over the weekend, Rafael may be forced further southward by an area of high pressure that passes over the Gulf, according to the hurricane center.
xtroopers
