Tropical Storm Rafael set to intensify, bringing hurricane threat to Caribbean, Florida

Tropical Storm Rafael’s winds remained steady Monday night, but the storm is expected to strengthen on Tuesday, reaching hurricane status by Wednesday.

The storm will bring severe winds and heavy rainfall to the western Caribbean and parts of southern Florida by midweek, News.Az reports, citing CNN.

Rafael is located approximately 105 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and 295 miles southeast of Grand Cayman, according to the Tuesday morning update from the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to unleash damaging winds, dangerous storm surge, and torrential rainfall first in Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands beginning Tuesday and then western Cuba on Wednesday. Parts of the Florida Keys could even see impacts beginning Wednesday evening.

The Isle of Youth and several Cuban provinces as well as the Grand Cayman Islands have been placed under hurricane warnings, according to the National Hurricane Center’s update on Monday night. Hurricane-force winds may impact parts of the Cayman Islands by Tuesday afternoon and western Cuba by Wednesday.

Tropical storm watch alerts were issued for the Florida Keys on Monday, joining the existing warnings for Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. There gusty winds and rainfall of 1-3 inches are possible.

Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the Caribbean Sea on Monday afternoon.

While it remains uncertain what impacts Rafael may have on the northern Gulf Coast, residents are urged to stay updated. Heavy rain through mid-week is expected across the western Caribbean, including Jamaica and Cuba, raising the risk of flooding and landslides, with rainfall spreading into Florida and the Southeast later in the week. Shifts in the storm’s trajectory could significantly impact flood risks across Florida and the Southeast.

“It is too soon to determine what, if any, impacts Rafael could bring to portions of the northern Gulf Coast,” the National Hurricane Center stated.

The Cuban provinces of Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, and Ciego de Avila, are under Tropical Storm Warnings after being upgraded from Tropical Storm Watch. A tropical storm warning remains for Jamaica.

News.Az