Rafael made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon in western Cuba before weakening, the National Hurricane Center said.In a 10 p.m. update, the center said Rafael was moving away from western Cuba as it headed to the southeastern Gulf of Mexico,

A rare November hurricane is expected to make landfall in the southern US this weekend, according to meteorologists. Tropical Storm Rafael is forecast to pick up enough strength to qualify as a hurricane as it approaches the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to make landfall in the south-central US.

Hurricane Rafael hit the Cuban province of Artemisa as a Category 3 storm Wednesday afternoon with sustained wind speeds of 115 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.