Rafael will make a landfall in Cuba as a major Category 3 hurricane, but it will weaken considerably as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico.

Rafael made landfall in the Cuban province of Artemisa, just east of Playa Majana, the National Hurricane Center said in a 4:15 p.m. update. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds near 115 mph and is moving northwest at 14 mph.

Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the Caribbean on Monday, a storm that's predicted to intensify into a hurricane and threaten the Gulf Coast this weekend.