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.

A disturbance in the Caribbean Sea was upgraded to a tropical depression Monday, is expected to will strengthen to a tropical storm later in the day, and could become a hurricane before it enters the Gulf of Mexico this week,

Tropical Storm Rafael formed Monday afternoon and is expected to reach hurricane strength later this week. The National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office said the system does not appear to be a threat to the region.