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.

Thousands of people in the west of the island were evacuated as a prevention measure before Rafael was expected to slam into Cuba on Wednesday.

Hurricane Rafael upgraded from a tropical storm earlier this week and is on track to make landfall in Cuba. Here's what to know about the storm path.