Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to become a hurricane as it heads towards Cuba.
According to AccuWeather, it passed over western Jamaica on Tuesday, packing winds of 75 miles per hour.
“Rafael is expected to become a hurricane as it approaches the Cayman Islands, with further strengthening before making landfall in Cuba,” the National Hurricane Center in Miami said, per PBS.
Cubans were urged to start preparations now because once the storm makes landfall, “it is important to stay where you are,” the Cuban Civil Defense posted on social media. An evacuation order was issued Monday for 37,000 people in far eastern Cuba, AP reported.
When will Tropical Storm Rafael possibly become a hurricane?
“This storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning as a Category 1 hurricane or possibly a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale in western Cuba,” AccuWeather meteorologist Geordan Lewis said.
Where is Tropical Storm Rafael expected to make landfall?
Forecasts show it could make landfall somewhere along the Texas coast in the Florida Panhandle around the weekend, according to USA Today.
It is the 17th named storm during the Atlantic hurricane season so far, and “it will be the 11th hurricane if it continues to strengthen as expected,” according to NBC News.
