This season’s first hurricane in the Central Pacific strengthened Wednesday night in a major storm and is on its way to potentially impact Hawaii by this weekend.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Hurricane Douglas is accumulating maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and moving west-northwest at 20 mph.
The located storm is located approximately 1,335 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
HURRICANE DOUGLAS BECOMES FIRST SEASON IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC, HAWAII MAY FACE IMPACTS BY WEEKEND
Douglas is forecast to remain a major hurricane for the next few days as it moves across the Pacific, but will weaken near Hawaii as it heads into cooler waters east of the islands.
Hurricane Douglas forecast.
(Fox News)
Hawaii will need to monitor the storm Sunday through Monday.
As it moves through the Central Pacific, Douglas is a Category 3 storm, which means it has sustained winds between 111 and 129 mph.
Hurricane Saffir-Simpson wind scale.
(Fox News)
Hurricanes that reach Category 3 and higher are considered “major hurricanes” due to their potential for significant loss of life and damage.
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The Hawaiian Islands can see strong winds and flash floods as the storm passes over the island chain on Saturday night. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the storm center, while tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.
Hurricane Douglas can be seen swirling over the Pacific on Thursday, July 23, 2020.
(NOAA / GOES-East)
Any part of the state could be affected, but it is still too early to know its precise route.
Hurricane Douglas can be seen as a major Category 3 storm.
(NOAA / GOES-East)
John Bravender, the National Weather Service’s warning coordinating meteorologist, advised residents to have hurricane kits ready, get gas, and make sure their homes are ready to weather the storm.
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“These are the things we want to do in advance so that once a hurricane like Douglas approaches, you are not fighting,” he told KHON2.
Local officials are already preparing for the impacts in the state.
In Honolulu, city and county officials said they expect flooding and are making plans to install storm drain inlet protection devices on city streets to minimize flooding in nearby areas, KHON2 reported.
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Federal forecasters said in May that the Central Pacific Basin, including Hawaii, should expect to see two to six tropical storms or hurricanes this year.
The hurricane season in Hawaii lasts from June 1 to the end of November. August and September are historically active months for cyclones in the region.
Last year, four tropical cyclones developed in the Central Pacific. None directly impacted Hawaii.
In 2018, the huge and powerful Hurricane Lane took a last-minute turn and narrowly saved Oahu, the most populous island in Hawaii. The last major hurricane to hit the state was Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which struck Kauai and caused massive damage across the island.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
