More than 70,000 people reportedly evacuated and military mobilised as hurricane gains strength

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.