Hurricane Rafael, which made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, is now gradually moving over the central Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Rafael slammed into Cuba as a major hurricane on Wednesday, and the late-season tropical system has now emerged in the Gulf of Mexico. But the question now turns to -- where is it going next?

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in western Cuba on Wednesday and has now moved on to the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in western Cuba Wednesday afternoon after it became a Category 3 hurricane earlier in the day. Rafael made landfall around 4:15 p.m. in the Cuban province of Artemisa, just east of Playa Majana, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Rafael has made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 storm. It is expected to continue into the Gulf of Mexico, weakening but potentially threatening the southeastern United States. Only when tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean encounter the right ingredients for long enough do they strengthen to the point of designation.

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.

Florida 's hurricane center has issued an advisory for Rafael, saying the storm is 'likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions' over the next few days. The storm is in the Gulf of Mexico.