Hurricane Rafael swirls over Gulf of Mexico after ripping through Cuba

HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Rafael is swirling over the Gulf of Mexico where it’s expected to break apart after plowing through Cuba, knocking out the country’s power grid and collapsing hundreds of homes. 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.” Though no hurricane warnings were in place, and the storm was expected to weaken and “meander” over the center of the Gulf through early next week.