SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Raphael It strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday as it passed the Cayman Islands and moved towards western Cuba.

This was another bad news for Cuba. Dealing with power outages two weeks ago while trying to recover from another hurricane that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island.

The storm was 20 miles (35 kilometers) southeast of Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands on Tuesday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 km) per hour and was moving northwest at 15 miles (24 km) per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Forecasters warned that Rafael was expected to hit Cuba on Wednesday, following rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. The center warned of flooding, storm surges and landslides.

The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon; offered departure flights to non-essential personnel and American citizens and advised others to “reconsider traveling to Cuba due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.”

On Tuesday morning, Cuban Civil Defense urged Cubans to prepare as soon as possible because once the storm makes landfall, “it is important to stay where you are.” Authorities announced the previous day that they had issued an evacuation order for 37,000 people in the Guantanamo province in Cuba’s far east due to bad weather conditions.

A hurricane warning went into effect Tuesday for the Cayman Islands and Cuba’s Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, as well as the lower and central Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge. In Jamaica, the warning was lifted after the storm crossed the west coast. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Camaguey and Las Tunas.

Authorities in the Cayman Islands have closed schools and government offices while urging residents to prepare. It was reported that long queues formed in markets as the storm approached.

Forecasters warned that Rafael would bring heavy rains across the western Caribbean, which could lead to flooding and landslides in parts of Cuba and the Cayman Islands.

Heavy rains are expected to spread north to Florida and nearby areas of the southeastern United States by the middle to late week. The Hurricane Center predicted that storm surges in Florida could reach 1 to 3 feet in the Dry Tortugas and 1 to 2 feet in the Lower Florida Keys. Several tornadoes were also expected in the Keys and southwest Florida on Wednesday.

Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted that the 2024 hurricane season will likely be well above average, with between 17 and 25 storms named. The forecast called for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of which are hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

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