Tropical Storm Rafael has begun to strengthen in the Caribbean Sea, and it is expected to reach hurricane strength by Wednesday and bring destructive winds and heavy rainfall to the region. Rafael was approximately 105 miles south-southwest of Kingston,

Tropical Storm Rafael gained steam late on Monday as it churned northward toward Cuba, which is still struggling to recover from a nationwide blackout and hurricane two weeks ago. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Rafael would see "steady or rapid intensification" before plowing across western Cuba with maximum predicted winds of up to 100 mph (160 kph) by Wednesday.