Topline
Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to strengthen on Tuesday while becoming a hurricane over the western Caribbean as the storm heads northwest toward the Gulf Coast later this week, impacting the Florida Keys and other states, though forecasters say it could veer toward Mexico.
Key Facts
A hurricane warning is in effect Tuesday for the Cayman Islands and parts of Cuba, and a tropical storm warning has been issued for Jamaica, other areas in Cuba and the Florida Keys, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A “life-threatening storm surge” and “destructive waves” caused by Rafael as a Category 1 hurricane are expected in western Cuba on Wednesday, with tropical storms impacting the lower and middle Florida Keys by Thursday morning.
Rafael is traveling Northwest at about 13 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of up to 60 miles per hour as of 10 a.m. EST, as the storm will likely continue moving toward the central and northern Gulf of Mexico this week, the agency said …