Hurricane Rafael continued to lose steam in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday after striking Cuba as a Category 3 major hurricane one day earlier. As of 7 a.m., Rafael was still a Category 2

Hurricane Rafael is expected to turn toward the west and slow down in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said.

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.