The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Rafael grew into a major Category 3 storm Wednesday ahead of landfall in Cuba as it headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, while the Florida Keys remained under a tropical storm warning.

Hurricane Rafael rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane in the Caribbean and is a few hours away from slamming into Cuba. The powerful hurricane is the fifth major hurricane of the year in the Atlantic and the strongest in the basin this late in the year since 2020.

Rafael will make a landfall in Cuba as a major Category 3 hurricane, but it will weaken considerably as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico.