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 intensified on Wednesday as storm-battered Cuba prepares for landfall and U.S. officials watched for potential impacts.

Hurricane Rafael, a powerful category 2 storm verging on category 3, was bearing down on western Cuba Wednesday morning. As of the 10 a.m. update, the National Hurricane Center noted it was “very likely” that Rafael could be a major hurricane by the time it strikes the island nation, which has recently been struggling with prolonged power outages.