Hurricane Rafael strengthens to powerful Category 3 storm as it heads to Cuba

HAVANA — 

Rafael strengthened Wednesday into a almighty Category 3 hurricane up of its expected landfall successful occidental Cuba, wherever it was forecast to bring "life-threatening" tempest surges, winds and flash floods.

The storm, which knocked retired powerfulness and dumped rainfall connected the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, is expected to deed the Isle of Youth successful the coming hours and marque landfall aboriginal connected Wednesday.

Classes and nationalist transport were suspended connected parts of the land arsenic authorities issued an alarm for the incoming upwind for the westbound of the country. Workers secured buildings and cleaned up garbage on Havana's coastline successful mentation for floods. Authorities besides canceled flights successful definite areas similar Havana and Varadero. Thousands of radical successful the westbound of the land were evacuated arsenic a prevention measure.

"Preparations to support beingness and spot should beryllium rushed to completion," warned the National Hurricane Center successful Miami.

The tempest was located astir 65 kilometers (40 miles) east-southeast of the Isle of Youth and astir 135 kilometers (84 miles) south-southeast of Havana. It had maximum sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) and was moving northwest astatine 22 kph (14 mph), according to the National Hurricane Center successful Miami.

Forecasters expected the tempest to aboriginal weaken implicit Cuba, but look successful the southeastern Gulf of Mexico arsenic a hurricane.

Cubans person already been struggling with blackouts portion recovering from different hurricane 2 weeks agone that killed astatine slightest six radical successful the eastbound portion of the island.

The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Cuba connected Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to non-essential unit and American citizens, and advising others to "reconsider question to Cuba owed to the imaginable interaction of Tropical Storm Rafael."

On Tuesday morning, the Cuban Civil Defense called connected Cubans to hole arsenic soon arsenic possible, due to the fact that erstwhile the tempest makes landfall "it's important to enactment wherever you are."

Silvia Perez, a 72-year-old retiree surviving successful a coastal country of Havana, was among those scrambling to prepare. As different neighbors moved appliances and different furnishings from crushed level homes, disquieted astir floods, Perez stocked up connected h2o and food.

"This is simply a nighttime I don't privation to slumber through, betwixt the battering aerial and the trees," Perez said. "I'm frightened for my friends and family."

A hurricane informing was successful effect connected Wednesday for a information of the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.

A tropical tempest informing was successful effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, arsenic good arsenic the little and mediate Florida Keys from Key West to westbound of the Channel 5 Bridge, and Dry Tortugas.

The tempest connected Tuesday knocked retired powerfulness successful parts of Jamaica and unleashed flooding and landslides. The Jamaica Public Service, the island's energy provider, said successful a connection precocious Tuesday that impassable roads were preventing crews from restoring powerfulness successful immoderate areas.

Power outages were reported crossed the Cayman Islands aft a nonstop deed precocious Tuesday, and schools remained closed connected Wednesday.

"While conditions person improved connected Grand Cayman, residents are advised to workout utmost caution connected the roads and adjacent coastlines arsenic unsmooth seas and residual flooding risks whitethorn persist," the authorities said successful a statement.

Heavy rainfall besides was expected to dispersed northbound into Florida and adjacent areas of the southeast U.S. during the mediate to precocious portion of the week. The Hurricane Center predicted tempest surges successful Florida could scope 1 to 3 feet successful Dry Tortugas and 1 to 2 feet successful the Lower Florida Keys. A fewer tornadoes besides were expected Wednesday implicit the Keys and southwestern Florida.

Rafael is the 17th named tempest of the season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane play was apt to beryllium good supra average, with betwixt 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast called for arsenic galore arsenic 13 hurricanes and 4 large hurricanes.

An mean Atlantic hurricane play produces 14 named storms, 7 of them hurricanes and 3 large hurricanes.