Cuba is bracing for further hardship as Category 3 Hurricane Rafael is set to strike

Cuba is bracing for further hardship as Hurricane Rafael is expected to hit the Caribbean country on Wednesday as a severe Category 3 storm.

Meteorologists warn that Hurricane Rafael could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods when it is expected to make landfall in western Cuba on Wednesday.

Cuba's blackouts

Rafael comes as Cubans continue to grapple with power outages as they recover from Hurricane Oscar, which killed several people after hitting the island last month.

Thousands of people in western Cuba were evacuated before the storm struck. Classes and public transportation were suspended on parts of the island and workers secured buildings and cleaned up trash along Havana's coast to prepare for flooding.

“Preparations to protect life and property should be completed expeditiously,” warned the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The US State Department on Tuesday offered departure flights for non-essential personnel and American citizens in an advisory for Cuba. The State Department also advised others to “reconsider travel to Cuba due to the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Rafael.”

Cuban Civil Defense urged people on the island to prepare for Rafael as quickly as possible because if the hurricane makes landfall, “it is important to stay where you are.”

The path of Hurricane Rafael

Hurricane Rafael, currently a Category 2 storm, was located about 60 miles east-southeast of the Isle of Youth and about 130 miles south-southeast of Havana on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and was moving northwest at a speed of 22 mph, the center said.

Rafael dumped rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. Power was out in parts of Jamaica and there were floods and landslides. People in the Cayman Islands are reportedly without power and the government warned that “rough seas and remaining flooding risks may remain.”

A hurricane warning was in effect on Wednesday for part of the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.

A tropical storm warning was also in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila. Tropical storm warnings were also in effect for the lower and central Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge and Dry Tortugas.

Forecasters expect the storm to later weaken over Cuba before becoming a hurricane in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Heavy rain

Florida and surrounding areas in the southeastern United States are expected to experience heavy rainfall during the middle to late part of the week. The Hurricane Center said storm surges could reach 1 to 3 feet in Dry Tortugas in the Sunshine State and 1 to 2 feet in the Lower Florida Keys.

Meanwhile, a few tornadoes were expected over the Keys and southwest Florida on Wednesday.

Major hurricane season

Hurricane Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season. In an average Atlantic hurricane season, there are 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this hurricane season will likely be well above average, with 17 to 25 named storms.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.