Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened into a Category 1 Hurricane on Tuesday evening near the Cayman Islands, the National Hurricane Center said.At 1 a.m. Wednesday, it had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was moving northwest at 13 mph,

Steady to rapid intensification is forecast over the next 24 to 36 hours, Rafael became a Category 1 hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean.

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.