ORLANDO, Fla. — Hurricane Rafael was downgraded to a tropical storm as it continued westward in the Gulf of Mexico posing no threat to land for now while the National Hurricane Center kept track of another system with low odds to develop into the next ...

Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the Caribbean on Monday, a storm that's predicted to intensify into a hurricane and threaten the Gulf Coast this weekend.

The tropics are heating up once again. Late Monday afternoon, Tropical Storm Rafael formed over the Caribbean Sea. After starting the day with a ragged, disorganized appearance, Rafael’s structure organized somewhat during the afternoon, and thunderstorm activity consolidated near its center — a sign of a strengthening storm.