HAVANA (Reuters) -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.

Hurricane Rafael has strengthened into a Category 2 storm just hours before it was forecast to make landfall on Wednesday in western Cuba

Tropical Storm Rafael was rapidly picking up steam on Tuesday afternoon as it chugged toward the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, and will likely become a hurricane in the next few hours, according to the U.