AT 4:00 AM EST, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RAFAEL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.2° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 84.6° WEST OR ABOUT 155 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF HAVANA, CUBA OR ABOUT 180 MILES WEST OF KEY WEST, FLORIDA.

RAFAEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MILES PER HOUR. A TURN TOWARD THE WEST AT A SLOWER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY, WITH THIS GENERAL MOTION CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, RAFAEL IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM WESTERN CUBA OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING.  RAFAEL IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME WEAKENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.