Hurricane Rafael is rapidly intensifying in the Caribbean and is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane before it slams into Cuba Wednesday. As of Wednesday morning, Rafael was a Category 2 storm with winds of 110 mph – just 1 mph away from Category 3 status – and 130 miles from Cuba.

Rafael will make a landfall in Cuba as a major Category 3 hurricane, but it will weaken considerably as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking two systems in the Atlantic basin: Hurricane Rafael and a disturbance approaching the Leeward Islands. Hurricane Rafael has intensified to a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph as it nears Cuba,