Hurricane Rafael becomes a Category 2 storm as it nears Cuba

Rafael continues to strengthen and forecast to be near major Category 3 hurricane status at landfall in western Cuba.

Hurricane Rafael has intensified into a Category 2 hurricane just hours before it is forecast to make landfall in Cuba, according to the United States National Weather Service.

Hurricane Rafael is located about 260km (160 miles) south-southeast of Havana, Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 160km/h (100mph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on Wednesday.

Rafael continues to strengthen and is expected to be on the cusp of “major hurricane” intensity – classified as Category 3 or above – at landfall in western Cuba, the NHC added.

It was another stroke of bad news for Cuba, which has been struggling with blackouts while recovering from Hurricane Oscar, which killed at least six people two weeks ago in the eastern part of the island.

Rafael is likely to exacerbate the island’s acute energy crisis, which has led to work stoppages and prolonged power outages in recent weeks due to decrepit infrastructure and a lack of fuel for Cuba’s oil-fired power stations.