Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened into a Category 1 Hurricane on Tuesday evening near the Cayman Islands, the National Hurricane Center said.By 10 p.m., Rafael was passing the Caymans, its center having slipped through the waters between Grand Cayman and Little Cayman,

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.

Rafael intensified into a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday evening in the Caribbean near the Cayman Islands as it headed for the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said. The National Hurricane Center designated Rafael the 11th hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season at 7:20 p.