The National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Storm Rafael, which is expected to become a hurricane either later today or early tomorrow as it moves northwest toward Cuba. The storm is then expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico as it moves northwest toward Louisiana this weekend and into next week. Here’s a look at the latest forecast cone, which calls for hurricane strength to be established in the overnight hours, and sustaining hurricane-force winds until Friday.

In terms of the expected impact to Central Florida, we are lucky to be outside of the cone of uncertainty, so there will be no direct impact from the hurricane this week. Instead, local forecasters are calling for an increased likelihood of rain and wind tomorrow and into Thursday.

If you’re visiting the Walt Disney World theme parks, you can rest assured that your vacation will not be interrupted by Hurricane Rafael, but you should plan for some rain impacts tomorrow and Thursday.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!