Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean and is expected to make landfall in Cuba

Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to become a hurricane as it heads toward Cuba.
It passed by western Jamaica Tuesday and sustained winds of 70 mph, according to AccuWeather.
“Rafael is expected to become a hurricane as it passes near the Cayman Islands with further strengthening before it makes landfall in Cuba,” the National Hurricane Center in Miami said, per PBS.
Cubans were urged to begin preparing now since once the storm lands, “it’s 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.
“This storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning as a Category 1 or possibly a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in western Cuba,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Geordan Lewis said.
Forecasts show it could make landfall somewhere along the Texas coast to the Florida Panhandle around the weekend, per USA Today.
It’s the 17th named storm during the Atlantic hurricane season so far, and “it will be the 11th hurricane if it strengthens further, as expected,” according to NBC News.