Hurricane Rafael strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it headed towards Cuba on Wednesday, threatening the island nation with deadly storm surge, winds and flash floods just two weeks after it was hit by Hurricane Oscar.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm had sustained winds of 115 mph and was located about 40 miles northeast of the Isle of Youth and around 85 miles south of Havana on Wednesday around 1 p.m. ET.
Cuba's government encouraged its citizens to prepare for the storm and to stay put once it made landfall. Cubans have been struggling to recover from a hurricane that caused extensive damage two weeks ago and left at least six people dead.
The Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth are all under a hurricane warning.
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A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara and Cienfuegos, as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to the west of the Channel 5 Bridge and Dry Tortugas.
The National Hurricane Center predicts a storm surge from one to three feet in some areas of southwestern Florida, as well as a few tornadoes as the storm approaches in the next couple of days.
Hurricane Rafael dumped heavy rain across Jamaica on Tuesday, knocking out power and triggering landslides in some areas, according to reports.
Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.
