Tropical Storm Rafael was upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane this week on its current path towards Cuba. This marked yet another setback for Cuba, already grappling with widespread blackouts and still recovering from a hurricane two weeks prior that left ...

Tropical Storm Rafael has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it swirled past Jamaica and chugged toward western Cuba.

Tropical Storm Rafael gained steam late on Monday as it churned northward toward Cuba, which is still struggling to recover from a nationwide blackout and hurricane two weeks ago. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Rafael would see "steady or rapid intensification" before plowing across western Cuba with maximum predicted winds of up to 100 mph (160 kph) by Wednesday.