Hurricane Rafael in the Gulf: Here is the latest track from Thursday

Rafael was a Category 2 hurricane Thursday morning as it moved away from Cuba and into the southern Gulf of Mexico.

The latest long-range record from the National Hurricane Center shows Rafael charting a westward path through the Gulf, potentially keeping the storm far from the northern Gulf Coast.

As of Thursday morning, all coast watches and warnings due to the storm have been suspended.

The latest forecast shows Rafael will weaken to a tropical storm in the western Gulf by Monday, and the cone of uncertainty does not affect any part of the United States

However, the storm could stir up the Gulf and bring a high risk of rip currents on Alabama beaches over the weekend.

Here is the coastal outlook for Alabama and Northwest Florida from the National Weather Service:

As of 6 a.m. CST Thursday, the center of Hurricane Rafael was about 195 miles west of Key West, Florida, and moving northwest at 9 miles per hour.

Rafael had winds of 105 miles per hour, making it a Category 2 hurricane. So far, Rafael peaked with winds of 115 miles per hour (Category 3) when it made landfall in western Cuba on Wednesday.

The hurricane center said some weakening is expected over the next few days, but Rafael could remain a hurricane through Sunday.

The storm is expected to turn westward later today and continue westward through at least Saturday. The hurricane center said a high pressure system could move across the Gulf over the weekend and push Rafael further south.

However, this route is not a sure thing. Meteorologists warned Thursday that “significant uncertainties remain in Rafael's future course over the Gulf of Mexico and further adjustments to subsequent official course forecasts are likely.”

The storm could drop another 2 to 4 inches of rain over Cuba today. The hurricane center said flash flooding and mudslides were possible in higher terrain on the island.

Tropical storm-force winds remain possible for the Dry Tortugas today.