By Dave Sherwood and Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) -Hurricane Rafael began lashing Cuba's south shore as a Category 3 cyclone shortly after noon on Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said,

Tropical Storm Rafael became a Category 3 major hurricane Wednesday afternoon as it nears the coast of western Cuba, the National Hurricane Center said.

Even without a landfall in Florida, the state is expected to feel some impacts from Rafael, starting as early as today.