Rafael is strengthening and will likely become a hurricane by Tuesday night as it batters the western Caribbean on the first leg of an uncertain journey toward the US Gulf Coast.

Tropical Storm Rafael is passing south of western Jamaica and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane possibly by Tuesday evening.Rafael, which formed Sunday and was previously known as Potential Tropical Cyclone 18,

Tropical Storm Rafael was forecast to grow steadily, if not rapidly as it churns past Jamaica's west coast on a path for Cuba, where it's expected to arrive later in the week as a hurricane. Rafael was becoming more organized as the center of the storm ...