Hurricane Rafael strengthens into Category 2 storm

The Weather Authority meteorologists are tracking Hurricane Rafael, which has strengthened into a Category 2 storm.

Rafael is forecast to pass over Western Cuba this Wednesday afternoon and move into the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday evening.

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 7 a.m. Wednesday advisory, Rafael is moving
toward the northwest near 14 mph.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph with higher gusts.

A general northwestward motion is anticipated over the next day or two, followed by a gradual west-northwestward turn in the Gulf of Mexico.

From there, Rafael is forecast to remain even farther offshore from Southwest Florida, keeping the impacts minimal.

Rain and storms will be on and off across the area throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

Rain totals look to be limited and less than 1.00″.

Breezy conditions will be with us through Thursday, with gusts between 30 to 40 mph.

Tides can run a bit higher from Wednesday night through Thursday and won’t be an issue due to Rafael’s distance offshore. 

WINK News has the latest on Hurricane Rafael throughout the day. 

In the Southwestern Atlantic, a trough of low pressure is producing an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms several hundred miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands.

This system is expected to move generally westward during the next few days, and an area of low pressure could form near the northern Leeward Islands on Wednesday night or Thursday.

Afterward, some gradual development of this system is possible toward the end of the week and into the early part of the weekend while it moves near or to the north of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and approaches the Southeast Bahamas.

This area of moisture can bring isolated showers to Southwest Florida on Sunday and Monday.

Over the next seven days, there is a 30% chance of further development.