AccuWeather.com

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

Oct 25, 2011; 6:27 PM ET

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This satellite image from NOAA shows a powerful Hurricane Rina churning over the western Caribbean early Tuesday.

Hurricane Rina continued to increase in size and strength Tuesday and will approach Cancun and Cozumel, Mexico, later this week.

Already a strong hurricane, conditions are ripe for additional strengthening over the next day or two. Rina was near Category 3 strength during the midday hours Tuesday.

Rina is spinning over very warm water in the western Caribbean in an atmosphere with weak wind shear. With the hurricane remaining well east of land, there is no interference of the circulation due to friction and dry air is not being pulled into the storm's circulation.

The popular resort cities of Cozumel and Cancun will be in the path of this dangerous hurricane.

"Rina could strike near Cozumel early Thursday as a Category 2 or 3 storm," according to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Randy Adkins.

"Given the slow movement of the system, rainfall will be a major player, and winds will clearly be an issue as well," said Adkins.

The major hurricane will unleash rainfall amounts of 6-10 inches as it moves at a crawling pace. The heaviest rain will deluge communities located just inland from the coast.

Since the terrain is relatively flat, the threat of significant urban flooding exists.

"Winds could be as high as 80 mph in gusts... sustained probably around 50-60 mph."

Storm surge flooding will also threaten the eastern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. However, Adkins points out that the storm surge flooding will "not nearly (be) as bad as some storms."

In the long term, the path is still uncertain. The storm could slice back to the east across Cuba or take more of a northeasterly path over the Florida Peninsula.

According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, "Hurricanes have to keep moving to survive the long haul."

If Rina sits in one place for too long or moves too slowly, its own wind field will churn up the sea to the point where it drags up cooler water from the depths.

"Hurricanes need warm water to stay strong and survive," Sosnowski said.

According to Tropical Weather and Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski, "At this time, it is very questionable if the center of the storm will make it much farther north than the Yucatan Channel."

However, Kottlowski cautioned that moisture from Rina will surge northward into the Sunshine State this weekend and into next week, interacting with a cold front draped across the area.

The combination of the front approaching from the northwest and a tropical wave piling in from the east could really agitate the situation. The potential is there to squeeze out a great deal of moisture.

Torrential downpours are possible across central and southern portions of Florida, Cuba and The Bahamas. Urban flooding could impact some communities, including large metro areas like Miami.