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,

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.

An active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season continues as Rafael strengthens into a category 1 storm. It's expected to batter Cayman Islands and Cuba before swinging into the Gulf of Mexico.