Hurricane Rafael is swirling past the Cayman Islands and is expected to rapidly intensify until making landfall in western Cuba, where it’s forecast to hit as a Category 2 hurricane.

Rafael was expected to continue to pass by Jamaica through Tuesday afternoon, be near or over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night, and make landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

Major energy companies said on Tuesday they are evacuating some oil production workers and securing offshore platforms as they prepare for the approach of tropical storm Rafael toward the Gulf of Mexico.