Hurricane Rafael pushed into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday night after plowing across western Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane with winds so powerful it knocked out the entire country's power grid.

Rafael made landfall in the western province of Artemisa, near capital Havana, at around 16:15 local time (21:15 GMT), the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The NHC said th

The hurricane center cautioned there is "larger-than-normal uncertainty regarding Rafael's intensity later in the forecast period."

The hurricane is in rarified air for storms in November, but will be in much different shape as it approaches the US.

Cuba is reeling after a powerful Category 3 hurricane ripped across the island and fierce winds knocked out the country’s power grid.

Hurricane Rafael is continuing to strengthen as it approaches landfall in western Cuba on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Cuba's national electrical grid collapsed on Wednesday as Hurricane Rafael slammed into the island's southwest shore, packing sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and wreaking havoc on the already crisis-stricken country.

The Category 3 Hurricane Rafael become a "major" hurricane and is about to make landfall in western Cuba, forecasters said Wednesday.