Rafael weakens after making landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane

Rafael made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon in western Cuba before weakening, the National Hurricane Center said.

Rafael made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon in western Cuba before weakening, the National Hurricane Center said.

In a 2 a.m. ET Thursday update, the center said Rafael was about 115 miles west-northwest of Havana as it moves away from western Cuba and heads to the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

It had maximum sustained wind speeds of 105 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane, and was moving northwest at 13 mph.

Rafael is expected to approach the U.S. later in the week.NOAARafael strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane Wednesday and then to Category 3 before it made landfall in the in the Cuban province of Artemisa, just east of Playa Majana. It weakened back to Category 2 after it made landfall.

As the storm lashed the island, its national electric grid collapsed, leaving its 10 million residents in the dark, again, after previous collapses last month.

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/hurricanes/rafael-strengthens-hurricane-rcna178791

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