Hurricane Rafael is impacting Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba with strong winds and heavy rain this week.

Flooding rains, gusty winds, and coastal flooding are likely to impact millions of the Caribbean islands as Tropical Storm Rafael, the 17th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, picks up steam through Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Rafael is intensifying as it moves toward the Cayman Islands and western Cuba. It will likely enter the Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane - here's what you need to know.