Rafael strengthened into a hurricane before the its projected impact on Cuba Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Rafael lashed the Cayman Islands in the western Caribbean with strong winds and heavy rain Tuesday night, and the Category 1 hurricane is expected to keep strengthening before it makes landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

The Caribbean country has been struggling with blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island.