Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 hurricane, bringing destructive winds and heavy rainfall to the island nation. This marks the fifth major hurricane in the Atlantic this year and the strongest to occur this late in the year since 2020.
The storm rapidly intensified, with its winds increasing from 60 mph to 115 mph within a day, well exceeding the threshold for rapid intensification. As it moved over Cuba, Rafael slightly weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph.
