Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened into a Category 1 Hurricane on Tuesday evening near the Cayman Islands, the National Hurricane Center said.At 1 a.m. Wednesday, it had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was moving northwest at 13 mph,

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 is strengthening over the Caribbean Sea ahead of its arrival in the Gulf of Mexico this week, according to the National Hurricane Center.