Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall in Cuba Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Rafael is passing through the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean and is forecast to rapidly intensify before making landfall in western Cuba, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Rafael was blowing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) after skirting past western Jamaica around mid-day.

Tropical Storm Rafael was rapidly picking up steam on Tuesday afternoon as it chugged toward the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, and will likely become a hurricane in the next few hours, according to the U.