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.

Steady to rapid intensification is forecast over the next 24 to 36 hours, Rafael became a Category 1 hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean.

Hurricane Rafael slammed into Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon before losing some strength as it passed over the island and entered the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane, which caused power outages in multiple regions,