Tropical Storm Rafael strengthening, forecast to become hurricane in Gulf of Mexico

ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 meteorologists are monitoring Rafael as it continues to strengthen in the Caribbean.

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Tropical Storm Rafael formed south of Jamaica on Monday afternoon.

As of Tuesday morning, Rafael’s maximum sustained winds are around 60 mph, and it is moving northwest at 13 mph.

The system is battering Jamaica Tuesday morning and will move into the Cayman Islands by Tuesday afternoon.

Rafael could strengthen into a hurricane as it moves over western Cuba on Wednesday.

The storm is forecast to stay to the west of Florida as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday.

Though Rafael is projected to stay away from Florida, it will still draw extra moisture into our area on Thursday.

Rafael is forecast to move into the central Gulf of Mexico, but its final track remains uncertain.

Some data suggests the storm will lift to the north and into Louisiana, while other tracks show it could continue to drift further to the west.

Due to cooler waters in the central Gulf of Mexico, Rafael is likely to weaken and not intensify into a major hurricane.

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