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.

Rafael was expected to continue to pass by Jamaica through Tuesday afternoon, be near or over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night, and make landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

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,