Hurricane Rafael is passing through the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean and is forecast to rapidly intensify before making landfall in western Cuba, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

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

Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened to near hurricane intensity Tuesday night, as it barreled toward the Cayman Islands and Cuba, where it was forecast to hit as a hurricane.The storm was located 25 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands on Tuesday after passing by Jamaica,