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.

Rafael strengthened into a hurricane before the its projected impact on Cuba Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Rafael chugged toward the Cayman Islands on Tuesday and was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane en route to Cuba. The storm was located 80 miles (130 kilometers) south-southwest of Montego Bay,