Hurricane Rafael turning away from Florida after moving into Gulf of Mexico

TAMPA, Fla. - Hurricane Rafael is turning to the west over the southern Gulf of Mexico as the storm continues to impact Cuba on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, the Category 2 hurricane was located at 24.5N and 85.2W with maximum sustained winds of 100 miles an hour, moving west-northwest at 9 miles an hour.

The storm made landfall as a major Category 3 hurricane in western Cuba late Wednesday afternoon, bringing floods, life-threatening storm surge and heavy winds to the island.

Hurricane Rafael is expected to move west over the Gulf of Mexico, with a ridge of high pressure keeping the storm away from Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Rafael weakened to a Category 2 hurricane as it moved further inland across the island before reaching the Gulf.

Why will Rafael likely keep moving west?

FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg says a big ridge of high pressure over the western Atlantic and Florida is steering Rafael to the west instead of taking a northerly track.

"Thankfully that's there, because if it wasn't, this storm would be pulled to the northern Gulf coast," Osterberg said.

Osterberg says the storm could fluctuate in intensity over the next few days, and will likely remain a hurricane until this weekend, with "minimal-to-no" impacts felt in the Tampa Bay area.

Hurricane Rafael will pull moisture away from Florida as it heads west over the Gulf of Mexico, allowing for a return to moderate humidity.

Thursday will be windy with summer-like humidity in the Bay Area, according to Osterberg, before the storm pulls moisture away, allowing for a return to moderate humidity by the weekend.