Hurricane Rafael is turning away from Florida after moving into the Gulf of Mexico

TAMPA, Fla. – Hurricane Rafael is turning west over the southern Gulf of Mexico as the storm continues to affect Cuba on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

From 4 Thursday, the Category 2 hurricane was located at 24.2N and 84.6W with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour moving northwest at 12 miles per hour.

The storm made landfall as a major Category 3 hurricane in western Cuba late Wednesday afternoon, bringing flooding, life-threatening storm surge and strong winds to the island.

Hurricane Rafael is expected to move west over the Gulf of Mexico, with a ridge of high pressure keeping the storm away from Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Rafael weakened to a Category 2 hurricane as it moved further inland over the island before reaching the Gulf.

Why is Rafael likely to continue moving west?

FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg says a large ridge of high pressure over the western Atlantic and Florida is steering Rafael west instead of taking a northerly track.

“Luckily it’s there, because if it wasn’t, this storm would be pulled to the northern Gulf Coast,” Osterberg said.

Osterberg says the storm could fluctuate in intensity over the next few days, and will likely remain a hurricane until this weekend, with “minimal-to-none” impacts felt in the Tampa Bay area.

Hurricane Rafael will pull moisture away from Florida as it heads west over the Gulf of Mexico, allowing for a return to moderate humidity.

Thursday will be breezy with summer-like humidity in the Bay Area, according to Osterberg, before the storm pulls moisture away, allowing for a return to moderate humidity over the weekend.

As Hurricane Rafael moves away from Florida in the coming days, winds will also settle in the Tampa Bay area.

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