Tropical Storm Rafael was rapidly picking up steam on Tuesday afternoon as it chugged toward the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, and will likely become a hurricane in the next few hours, according to the U.

Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall in Cuba Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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