Hurricane Rafael swirled past the Cayman Islands and was expected to rapidly intensify until making landfall on Wednesday in western Cuba, where it's forecast to hit as a Category 2 hurricane. Read more: How rare are November hurricanes in the Gulf? Rafael will be one of few in history.

Rapidly intensifying, Rafael will be a strong Category 2 storm as it crosses over Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico where momentum will carry it north to west of the Florida Keys.

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,