Hurricane Rafael continues to gain strength and remains on track to emerge in the Gulf of Mexico where millions of people from Texas to Florida will be keeping their eyes on the late-season hurricane.

Rafael strengthened into a hurricane Tuesday evening as it lashed the western Caribbean with strong winds and heavy rain. The storm is expected to keep strengthening before it makes landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

Rafael strengthened into a low-end hurricane Tuesday night as it approached the Cayman Islands in the central Caribbean Sea, the National Hurricane Center said. The rare November hurricane was expected to continue churning northwest toward western Cuba and enter the Gulf of Mexico this week,