Hurricane Rafael barreled toward Cuba on Wednesday, forecast to make landfall in western Cuba as a major Category 3 hurricane that forecasters warn could bring “life-threatening” storm surges,

Hurricane Rafael is rapidly intensifying in the Caribbean and is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane before it slams into Cuba Wednesday. As of Wednesday morning, Rafael was a Category 2 storm with winds of 110 mph – just 1 mph away from Category 3 status – and 130 miles from Cuba.

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.