SAN JUAN — Hurricane Rafael strengthened into a Category 2 storm earlier this morning, just hours before it was forecast to make landfall in western Cuba.

The storm was located about 140 kilometres east-southeast of the Isle of Youth, and around 260 kilometres south-southeast of Havana. It had maximum sustained winds of 160 kph and was moving northwest at 22 kph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Forecasters warned that Rafael was expected to slam into Cuba on Wednesday after dumping rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. The centre warned of floods, storm surges and mudslides.

TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR WESTERN CUBA

 The Canadian government has updated its travel advice for Cuba, advising Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to these provinces in Western Cuba due to Rafael: Pinar del Rio; Artemisa; La Habana; Mayabeque; Matanzas; and the Isle of Youth.

A hurricane warning is in effect for these provinces, as well as for a portion of the Cayman Islands.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge, and Dry Tortugas.

AIR TRAVEL TO CUBA

One of Cuba’s busiest airports, Varadero (VRA), is now closed as the island waits out the storm.

Air Canada posted a travel alert for Varadero for travel Nov. 7. More information about Air Canada’s revised ticketing policy for these destinations on these dates can be found here.

WestJet also has a travel advisory, for Varadero travel Nov. 7. For more details click here.

So far Air Transat is advising travellers that flights TS814 and TS815 to Varadero, originally scheduled for today, Nov. 6, have been delayed by 24 hours. “The flights will now operate on November 7, with the same flight numbers and departure times as previously scheduled,” says Air Transat here.

Meanwhile Sunwing is delaying all flights onboard Sunwing Airlines with departures originally scheduled for today, Nov. 6, until Nov. 7 at minimum, “with the potential for flights on November 7 to be further delayed pending any changes to the airport’s reopening date and time due to the impact of the storm,” says Sunwing. More info is here.

JAMAICA UPDATE 

The hurricane warning was lifted in Jamaica after the storm passed by the western coast. Rafael knocked out power in Jamaica and triggered flooding and landslides.

Crews in Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are expected to fan out today to assess damage after a direct hit yesterday. Power outages were reported across the Cayman Islands, and schools remained closed today.

“While conditions have improved on Grand Cayman, residents are advised to exercise extreme caution on the roads and near coastlines as rough seas and residual flooding risks may persist,” the government said in a statement.

Forecasters warned Rafael would unleash heavy rains across the western Caribbean that could lead to flooding and mudslides in parts of Cuba and the Cayman Islands.

Heavy rainfall also was expected to spread north into Florida and nearby areas of the southeast U.S. during the middle to late part of the week. The Hurricane Center predicted storm surges in Florida could reach 1 to 3 feet in Dry Tortugas and 1 to 2 feet in the Lower Florida Keys. A few tornadoes also were expected today over the Keys and southwestern Florida.

Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane season was likely to be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast called for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

With file from The Associated Press