Tropical Storm Rafael gained hurricane status Tuesday evening as it churned in the warm Caribbean waters on the way to the Cayman Islands and Cuba before heading for the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said.
Rafael’s wind speeds increased to 75 mph, just above the threshold for a Category 1 hurricane, the NHC said in at 7:20 p.m. ET update. Officials in the U.S. are monitoring the storm for potential impacts to the Gulf Coast.
Rafael swiped west of Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon before continuing on a northwest trajectory. Jamaican authorities opened four emergency shelters but reported no deaths or injuries despite the heavy rain.
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