Rafael made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon in western Cuba before weakening, the National Hurricane Center said.In a 6 p.m. update, the center said Rafael was 40 miles west of Havana,

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 storm Wednesday, bringing sustained winds of up to 115 mph as it batters the already ravaged island before heading to the Gulf of Mexico and churning toward the U.

Cuba has suffered a nationwide blackout as Hurricane Rafael brings winds of up to 185km/h (115mph) to the Caribbean island. A statement from the country's national energy company said "strong winds caused by the major hurricane Rafael caused the shutdown of the national electricity system" and that emergency protocols had been activated.