Hurricane Rafael continues to weaken in the Gulf of Mexico and while the cyclone will not directly strike the U.S., it will bring life-threatening conditions to the Gulf Coast.

MIAMI - The lower and middle Florida Keys are under a tropical storm warning as Hurricane Rafael is forecast to grow steadily on a path for Cuba, where it's expected to arrive on Wednesday. A tropical storm warning is also issued for portions of Cuba. A hurricane warning is in effect for parts of Cuba.

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.

There have already been storm impacts in the southeastern United States after Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba. See where the storm may go this weekend.

The center of the storm has become more exposed due to strong winds, and convective storms are displaced to the northeast of Rafael as shown on the enhanced satellite imagery. National Hurricane Center meteorologists expect Rafael to make a clockwise loop in the Gulf of Mexico before gradually shifting southward.

The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Rafael grew into a major Category 3 storm Wednesday and made landfall in Cuba on its way into the Gulf of Mexico, while the Florida Keys remained under a tropical storm warning.

On Wednesday, Rafael made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, knocking out the nation’s beleaguered electrical grid once again. In October, the unexpected Hurricane Oscar slammed the eastern side of the country, killing eight people and damaging 20,000 homes.

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.