Hurricane Rafael slammed into Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon before losing some strength as it passed over the island on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Cuba has suffered a nationwide blackout as Hurricane Rafael brings winds of up to 185km/h (115mph) to the Caribbean island.

A statement from the country’s national energy company said “strong winds caused by the major hurricane Rafael caused the shutdown of the national electricity system” and that emergency protocols had been activated.

The category-three hurricane made landfall on Wednesday evening and is expected to bring storm surges, flash flooding, and mudslides, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

It comes just weeks after millions were left without power for four days following a blackout caused by issues with the country’s creaking energy infrastructure. The incident also coincided with Hurricane Oscar, which killed at least six people.

Last month, around 10 million people in Cuba were left without power following a blackout caused by maintenance issues and a lack of fuel to run power stations.

That blackout also coincided with Hurricane Oscar, a less powerful category one storm that left a trail of destruction along the island’s north-eastern coast.

The worst-affected area was the eastern province of Guantánamo, where more than 1,000 homes were damaged by heavy rains and strong winds.

British tourist Klara Kszczotek said she was not worried about the impact of Hurricane Rafael.

“I guess we are not really scared, because we are watching the news and so on, so for now I think we are fine,” she said.

Whole of Cuba loses power as Hurricane Rafael hits

Source: BBC