Hurricane Rafael enters Gulf of Mexico as Category 2 storm, but track spares South MS

Hurricane Rafael pounded Cuba on Wednesday and emerged in the Gulf of Mexico, where forecasters say it will slow down and weaken this week and avoid South Mississippi.

Pressure in the atmosphere over the western Atlantic and Florida is building west and keeping Rafael away from the U.S. Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said. That will force the storm west over the next three days. Forecasters also predict Rafael will slow down and meander through the Gulf early next week.

It struck Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane and weakened by Thursday afternoon to a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds, the National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters predict dry air in the Gulf will soon weaken the storm more.

The National Hurricane Center said it still had “significant uncertainty” in Rafael’s track next week through the Gulf of Mexico, and that the forecast could change.

But the National Weather Service in Slidell stressed good news for Louisiana and South Mississippi.

“The latest update turns Rafael more west staying well south of the northern Gulf through the weekend,” the agency wrote on social media.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 8:40 AM.