WKRG News 5 at 4:30

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on TROPICAL STORM RAFAEL in the Southern Caribbean.Rafael currently sitting south of Jamaica is expected to move north toward the island nation today.

The track continues to take the storm northwest towards the western tip of Cuba and into the Southern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday as a hurricane. From here, the uncertainty in the track grows due to high wind shear and complex steering patterns. We will continue to see shifts in the track over the next few days.

Conditions will gradually become more hostile to the cyclone as it moves into the Central Gulf thanks to cooler waters and increasing wind shear. The storm is expected to weaken through the end of the week.LOCAL IMPACTS

SURF & CURRENTS

Waves will continue to increase through the week with surf reaching 5-10 feet by Friday

The threat of dangerous rip currents will remain high with the cyclone in the Gulf

RAINFALL

Depending on the exact track, parts of the Gulf Coast could receive some beneficial rain Thursday through the weekend

Exact amounts should come into better focus by mid-week

WINDS

Increasing winds are expected, especially along the coast by the end of the week

The exact track of the storm will dictate where tropical storm winds would occur

SURGE & COASTAL FLOODING

Some minor coastal flooding may occur late next week depending on the track

High tides will run higher than normal