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

As of 4 a.m. Thursday, the Category 2 hurricane was at 24.2 N, 84.6 W with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and moving northwest at a speed of 12 mph.

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

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

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

Why is Rafael likely to move further 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 course.

“Luckily there is, because otherwise this storm would move to the northern Gulf Coast,” Osterberg said.

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

Hurricane Rafael will deplete Florida of moisture as it moves west across the Gulf of Mexico, allowing a return to moderate humidity.

Osterberg said there will be windy and summer-like humidity in the Bay Area on Thursday before the storm moves the moisture away, allowing moderate humidity to return by the weekend.

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

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