Rafael, the 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, became a hurricane on Tuesday evening as it approached the Cayman Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. A Category 1 hurricane, Rafael reached maximum sustained winds near 75 mph based ...

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 strengthened into a hurricane before the its projected impact on Cuba Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.