Tropical Storm Rafael was chugging past western Jamaica on Tuesday and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it headed toward Cuba. The storm was located 70 miles (115 kilometers) southwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Tuesday morning. It had ...

Rafael is strengthening and will likely become a hurricane by Tuesday night as it batters the western Caribbean on the first leg of an uncertain journey toward the US Gulf Coast. Forecasters are warning there’s more uncertainty than usual about where the storm could go once it’s in the Gulf of Mexico midweek.

Rafael is the 17th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, and it could become the 11th hurricane. The season lasts until Nov. 30.