Tropical Storm Rafael slipped by western Jamaica en route to the Cayman Islands and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane Tuesday evening, federal forecasters said.Rafael, which formed Sunday as Potential Tropical Cyclone 18,

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.

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.