Rafael is expected to pass near or over the Cayman Islands late Tuesday, with officials closing schools and government offices as they urged residents to prepare. Jamaica also closed down as a precaution, with the storm's outer winds battering the island late Monday.

A broad area of low pressure in the western Caribbean Sea is becoming better organized and the National Hurricane Center is initiating advisories on the system as of 4 p.m. Sunday.

Tropical Storm Rafael is forecast to become a hurricane Tuesday afternoon. It's forecast to reach Cat. 2 strength before landfall in western Cuba Wednesday afternoon.