Hurricane Rafael Strengthens into a Category 2, Takes Aim at Cuba

(Miami, Fl) - Hurricane Rafael continues to strengthen and is currently a Category 2 storm.

The National Hurricane Center upgraded the storm earlier this morning after sustained winds were clocked at 110 mph.

Rafael swirled past the Cayman Islands earlier this morning and it is forecast to rapidly intensify before making landfall later in the day in western Cuba.

And the Florida Keys will be next as Monroe County is under a tropical storm warning.

Forecast models for Rafael originally showed a steady track to the northwest over the Gulf and a landfall along the northern Gulf Coast. Now two major forecast models are more consistently showing a significant shift to the west.