Hurricane Rafael made landfall in western Cuba Wednesday afternoon after it became a Category 3 hurricane earlier in the day.

Rafael made landfall in the Cuban province of Artemisa, just east of Playa Majana, the National Hurricane Center said in a 4:15 p.m. update. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds near 115 mph and is moving northwest at 14 mph.

Rafael strengthened into a Category 2 and then Category 3 hurricane Wednesday. A Category 3 storm, which is classified as a major hurricane, has winds of 111 to 129 mph, under the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Rafael is expected to move into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday night and across the Gulf this weekend.

Rafael is forecast to bring life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds and flash flooding to portions of western Cuba, forecasters warned.

A hurricane warning is for the Cuban provinces Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge, and the Dry Tortugas.

Hurricane conditions are expected in western Cuba on Wednesday night.

Rafael will dump heavy rainfall across the western Caribbean through early Thursday with 4 to 8 inches expected in western Cuba, with isolated higher totals up to 12 inches across higher terrain, which will lead to flash flooding and mudslides. Storm surge could also raise water levels “as much as 9 to 14 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds” along the southern coast of Cuba, the NHC said.

In the U.S., tropical storm conditions are expected in the lower and middle Florida Keys on Wednesday into the evening.

Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected for the lower and middle Florida Keys. Several tornadoes are also possible through Wednesday evening over the Florida Keys and far southwestern Florida mainland.