Please see the below update from the National Weather Service (NWS) New Orleans / Baton Rouge and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) regarding Hurricane Rafael.
- Hurricane Rafael is beginning to undergo rapid intensification and is forecast to become a Category 2 within the coming hours. There is a chance it becomes a Category 3 before landfall in western Cuba later today.
- The forecast track still calls for a sharper turn to the west once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico where it will maintain hurricane strength for a little longer.
- Stronger wind shear and dry air will likely cause the storm to weaken when it reaches the central Gulf of Mexico on Saturday/Sunday.
- Uncertainty remains regarding the extent of local impacts, if any, we can expect by Saturday through Monday.
