Hurricane Rafael is now a tropical storm with winds at 50 mph.Louisiana is no longer in the forecast cone; however, the state could see rain depending on how close the storm gets. Sign up for our NewslettersRafael is now in the Gulf of Mexico where it will rapidly lose strength in unfavorable conditions.

The United States, particularly Florida, should catch a break as the latest forecast from AccuWeather shows that Rafael won't make landfall here.

Steady to rapid intensification is forecast over the next 24 to 36 hours, and Rafael is forecast to become a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the Caribbean on Monday, a storm that's predicted to intensify into a hurricane and threaten the Gulf Coast this weekend.

Hurricane Rafael weakened slightly as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico after making made landfall in western Cuba as a powerful Category 3 storm. The storm is forecast to make landfall in Florida late Wednesday night as a "dangerous major hurricane," according to the National Hurricane Center.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking weakening Tropical Storm Rafael in the Gulf of Mexico. A disturbance near the Bahamas could bring heavy rain

Rafael weakened on Saturday and is expected to remain a tropical storm in the central Gulf of Mexico from Sunday into Monday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced. On Saturday morning, the agency said the storm was about 290 miles of Progreso,