Watching Rafael approaching Gulf of Mexico | FOX 26 Houston Tropical Weather Forecast

The last month of hurricane season is turning out to be an active one. Today, Rafael has strengtened to a Major and powerful Category 3 hurricane as it starts to push over western Cuba. Winds over 100 mph, life-threatening storm surge and flooding are likely. Florida Keys remain under a Tropical storm warning. Rafael will track into the eastern Gulf of Mexico Thursday and Friday. It will likely get weaker, slow down and encounter hostile winds and drier air as it pushes into the North Central Gulf of Mexico. Also, a cold front will roll across the Houston area late Friday into Saturday, helping to keep Rafael to our east. Some models have it staying offshore, south of Louisiana and other models have it making landfall as a weaker system. However, impacts to Houston should be minimal from Rafael. Another disturbance in the Southwest Atlantic has a low shot for tropical development as it moves towards the Bahamas over the next week. Next name on the list is Sara.