Rafael strengthened into a low-end hurricane Tuesday night as it approached the Cayman Islands in the central Caribbean Sea, the National Hurricane Center said. The rare November hurricane was expected to continue churning northwest toward western Cuba and enter the Gulf of Mexico this week,

But Tropical Storm Rafael's late formation ... its strength for a day or two as it spirals through the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana's coast. Though hurricane forecasters expect the storm to weaken significantly as it approaches the U.S. Gulf Coast ...

ToplineTropical Storm Rafael is expected to strengthen on Tuesday while becoming a hurricane over the western Caribbean as the storm heads northwest toward the Gulf Coast later this week, impacting the Florida Keys and other states,

Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the Caribbean on Monday, a storm that's predicted to intensify into a hurricane and threaten the Gulf Coast this weekend.

Tropical Storm Rafael formed Monday afternoon in the Caribbean, and is forecast to briefly become a Category 2 hurricane later this week over Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Rafael is on the brink of hurricane strength as it move northwest in the Caribbean Sea towards Cuba. After crossing the island mid-week, it will move towards the central Gulf of Mexico.

Rafael is the 17th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. An average year sees 14 storms. Eight named storms have developed in November since 2013.