HONOLULU (AP) — Hurricane Douglas is gathering strength as it heads west toward the Hawaiian Islands on a track to potentially bring strong winds and flash flooding to the island chain over the weekend.
The storm is getting stronger Thursday, becoming a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
Cooler waters east of Hawaii and wind shear are expected to weaken the storm before it reaches the islands.
Starting Saturday night, Tropical Cyclone Douglas will approach the State of Hawaii from the east. Increasing chances of heavy rain and strong winds could affect portions of the state beginning Sunday. It is too early to tell which islands will be impacted by #Douglas. pic.twitter.com/F8UXnpAZ7a
— National Weather Service (@NWS) July 23, 2020
The weather service said it’s likely to be either at hurricane or near-hurricane strength when it arrives.
