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.

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 ...

We continue to track the progress of what is now Tropical Storm Rafael moving towards Jamaica and Cuba. The forecast from the national Hurricane center calls for the system to become a hurricane before reaching Cuba and the Isle of youth.