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.

Hurricane Rafael was gaining strength as it churned north towards western Cuba early on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said, warning it could approach major hurricane status before slamming into the Caribbean island later in the day.

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,