Rafael strengthened into a hurricane Tuesday evening as it lashed the western Caribbean with strong winds and heavy rain. The storm is expected to keep strengthening before it makes landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Rafael slipped by western Jamaica en route to the Cayman Islands and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane Tuesday evening, federal forecasters said.Rafael, which formed Sunday as Potential Tropical Cyclone 18,

Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the Caribbean on Monday, a storm that's predicted to intensify into a hurricane and threaten the Gulf Coast this weekend.