Cuba braces for Hurricane Rafael after blackouts and hurricane deaths last month

Cuba evacuates 70,000 people as Rafael gains strength and cause more blackouts and power outages

Cuba is bracing for Hurricane Rafael, which is expected to make landfall on Wednesday and compound the misery wrought by a recent power blackout and Hurricane Oscar.

Early on Wednesday it was about 260km southeast of Havana and packing winds of 99mph (160 km/h) making it a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Five is the strongest.