Hurricane Rafael slammed into Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon before losing some strength as it passed over the island on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The powerful hurricane is the fifth major hurricane of the year in the Atlantic and the strongest this late in the year since 2020.

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 storm Wednesday, bringing sustained winds of up to 115 mph as it batters the already ravaged island before heading to the Gulf of Mexico and churning toward the U.

Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened into a hurricane Tuesday night and will make landfall in Western Cuba late Wednesday as a possible major Category 3 storm.Hur