Hurricane Rafael is forming in the Caribbean as it approaches the Cayman Islands, heading towards Cuba

Rafael, the 18th named hurricane of Atlantic hurricane seasonbecame a hurricane Tuesday evening as it approached the Cayman Islands, the National Hurricane Center said.

As a Category 1 storm, Rafael has reached sustained winds near 75 mph based on the latest data from aerial surveys, the National Hurricane Center said in a 7:20 p.m. ET advisory.

The storm’s center is located 20 miles southeast of Little Cayman in the Caribbean Sea, and 305 southeast of Havana, Cuba. Strong damaging storms, dangerous storm surges and destructive waves are expected, forecasters said, as the storm is expected to strengthen before reaching Cuba. It was moving northwest at 15 mph.

The Miami-based hurricane center said the system is expected to approach the northwestern part of Cuba when it reaches hurricane strength. A map showing Rafael’s path through the Caribbean, created by CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan, shows the storm approaching Cuba Wednesday morning with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.

“Strong to strong strengthening is forecast for the next 24 to 36 hours, and Rafael is forecast to become a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean near the Cayman Islands with further strengthening before crossing over Cuba,” forecasters said in an update Tuesday morning. .

The hurricane center said the heaviest rain is expected to hit Jamaica on Tuesday, while Cuba could face a strong storm on Wednesday. Rain will likely be accompanied by storms in the Cayman Islands on Tuesday afternoon and possibly west of Cuba and the Isle of Youth on Wednesday.

“Heavy rain will affect areas of the Western Caribbean starting early Thursday, especially Jamaica and the Cayman Islands to parts of southern and western Cuba where between 3 and 6 inches of rain is expected,” the hurricane center said Tuesday morning, adding that “higher amounts could reach to 10” inches can be seen in some parts of Jamaica and Cuba.

Heavy rain was expected to extend north into Florida and other parts of the southeastern US by the middle or end of the week, with up to 3 inches forecast for the central Florida Keys.

CBS News meteorologist Nicolette Nolan said forecast models were not clear enough as of Monday to predict where Rafael would head once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico, “but the Gulf coast from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida should be on the lookout for impacts by the end of the week.”