Rafael lashed the Cayman Islands in the western Caribbean with strong winds and heavy rain Tuesday night, and the Category 1 hurricane is expected to keep strengthening before it makes landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Rafael formed Monday afternoon in the Caribbean Sea, where it is expected to cross Jamaica, the Grand Cayman Islands, and Cuba, before entering the Gulf of Mexico this week. It is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane before weakening back down to a tropical storm in the Gulf.

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,