Tropical Storm Rafael is currently making its way towards the Cayman Islands and is expected to intensify into a hurricane as it moves towards Cuba. The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), is located 105 miles southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and is moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).
The National Hurricane Center in Miami has forecasted that Rafael will become a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean near the Cayman Islands and is likely to strengthen further before reaching Cuba. The storm is projected to pass near Jamaica on Tuesday morning, move over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night, and approach western Cuba by Wednesday.
Currently, a hurricane warning is in effect for the Cayman Islands and several Cuban provinces, including Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and the Isle of Youth. Additionally, a tropical storm warning has been issued for Jamaica and other Cuban provinces, while a tropical storm watch is in place for certain areas in Cuba and the Lower and Middle Florida Keys.
Authorities are taking precautionary measures, with schools and government offices being closed in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. In Cuba, evacuation orders have been issued for around 37,000 people in the province of Guantanamo due to the impending bad weather conditions.
Forecasters are warning of heavy rainfall across the western Caribbean, which could result in flooding and mudslides. Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches (7 to 15 centimeters) are expected, with localized amounts of up to 10 inches (25 cm) in Jamaica and parts of Cuba.
Furthermore, the impact of the storm is likely to extend to Florida and the southeastern United States, with heavy rainfall and the possibility of tornadoes in the Keys and southwesternmost Florida mainland on Wednesday.
Rafael marks the 17th named storm of the season, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average hurricane season for 2024, with estimates ranging between 17 and 25 named storms, including up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
