On Wednesday afternoon, Hurricane Rafael struck the southern coast of Cuba's Artemisa province with the devastating power of a Category 3 storm, boasting maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). According to Cuba's Meteorological Institute on the platform known as X, the storm made its entry at Playa Majana at 4:20 pm, located approximately 75 km south-southwest of Havana.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that the hurricane could cause a perilous storm surge, leading to potential flooding and hurricane-force winds that threaten both lives and property. As a precaution, the NHC has issued a hurricane warning for the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Havana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and the Isle of Youth.
Additionally, a tropical storm warning has been announced for the provinces of Villa Clara and Cienfuegos, as well as for the Florida Keys, stretching from Key West to the west of Channel 5 Bridge.