Hurricane Rafael will rake Cuba’s coast with Category 3 winds later Wednesday before it crosses the island nation and emerges into the Gulf of Mexico, weakened but on a track that could threaten the US or Mexico.

Cayo Largo del Sur, a small Cuban island in the path of Rafael, recorded sustained winds of 58 mph, gusting to 79 mph, at 9:50 a.m. EST Wednesday, when the center of Rafael was passing about 30 miles (50 km) to the west.

Hurricane Rafael intensified on Wednesday as storm-battered Cuba prepared for landfall and U.S. officials watched for potential impacts.