MEXICO CITY (AP) — Rafael weakened to a tropical storm on Saturday and was expected to dissipate over the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days after barreling through Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane.
Rafael was located 470 km northwest of Progreso, Mexico on Saturday. According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, it had maximum sustained winds of 85 km per hour and was moving west-northwest at a speed of 9 km per hour.
It was forecast to continue moving south toward southern Mexico over the next few days as it weakened. Forecasters warned that the storm’s swells were likely to cause “life-threatening surf and current conditions” in that region.
The hurricane hit Jamaica and the Cayman Islands earlier this week, causing power outages and mudslides. It stormed into Cuba on Wednesday evening, causing another headache for the island.
Rafael’s fierce winds paralyzed Cuba’s power grid, forced the evacuation of 283,000 people and collapsed 461 homes. There were also trees, power lines and debris scattered across the flooded streets. Many were still without power this weekend, although the Cuban government said it was working to restore power to homes.
On Friday, state media in Cuba reported that Russia said it would donate 80,000 tons of diesel to Cuba and offered a shipment of equipment for $62 million as the communist-led government struggled to pick up the pieces after the hurricane.
Rafael followed a difficult few weeks in the Caribbean country, following days of power outages across the island and another powerful hurricane that killed at least six people.
