Rafael weakens to tropical storm over Gulf of Mexico after barreling through Cuba as a hurricane

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Rafael has weakened to a tropical storm and was expected to dissolve over the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days after barreling across Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane. Rafael was located 2,490 miles (470 km) north-northwest of Progreso, Mexico on Saturday. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 6 mph (9 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. It was forecast to continue moving south toward southern Mexico in the coming days as it weakens. Forecasters warned that swells from the storm were likely to cause “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” in that region.