Rafael weakens into a tropical storm as it swirls over the Gulf of Mexico after lashing Cuba

HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Rafael has weakened into a tropical storm as it swirls through the Gulf of Mexico where it is expected to break apart after plowing through Cuba, knocking out the country’s power grid and collapsing hundreds of houses. On Friday night, the tropical storm was located 240 miles (390 kms) north of Progreso, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. It was forecast to move westward toward Mexico in the coming days and forecasters warned that swells from the hurricane were likely to cause “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”