Rafael was a Category 2 hurricane on Thursday as it moved farther into the Gulf of Mexico. The long-range track for the storm keeps it out over the Gulf through at least Monday, and away from the U.S. Gulf Coast. National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Rafael has made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 storm. It is expected to continue into the Gulf of Mexico, weakening but potentially threatening the southeastern United States. Only when tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean encounter the right ingredients for long enough do they strengthen to the point of designation.

A growing system in the Caribbean developed into Tropical Storm Rafael on Monday and is likely to intensify into a hurricane as it heads north toward the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to weaken as the NHC tracks another system in the Caribbean that is expected to move into "unfavorable conditions."