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.

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

Tropical Storm Rafael was forecast to grow steadily, if not rapidly as it churns past Jamaica's west coast on a path for Cuba, where it's expected to arrive later in the week as a hurricane. Rafael was becoming more organized as the center of the storm ...