Hurricane Rafael 11/6 INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Rafael became a hurricane on Tuesday and continues to rapidly intensify. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Rafael has reached major hurricane status with maximum winds of 115 mph. Rapid intensification is defined as a tropical cyclone increasing its maximum sustained winds by at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period, Tuesday morning, the storm had sustained winds of 60 mph. Future track of Rafael After striking Cuba Wednesday evening, Hurricane Rafael will emerge into the Gulf of Mexico. This weekend the system is expected to encounter more wind shear and weaken. A huge question mark will be the track of this system this weekend into early next week. Texas and Louisiana are just outside the cone of uncertainty. Many computer models have the system stalling and never making it to the U.S. coastline as it is gobbled up by wind shear. Those details should be fine-tuned as we get closer. November is the last month of hurricane season. For more updates on Hurricane Rafael be sure to check out the weather stories section of WISHTV.com.