#Hurricane Douglas intensifying to Category 3 as it moves toward Hawaii

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Hurricane Douglas (right) churning in the Pacific Ocean heading toward Hawaii (left).

NOAA via AP

Hurricane Douglas has escalated to a Category 3 storm with winds reaching 120 miles per hour as it approaches Hawaii.

The system is roughly 1,000 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, but is moving toward the island chain with expectations it will touch down on the islands this Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Douglas is expected to intensify over the course of Thursday but weaken by the time it reaches the state, according to the forecast.

“Douglas is expected to be at or near hurricane intensity as it approaches the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday,” the NHC said.

It’s unlikely for the storm to maintain a Category 3 status by the time it reaches the state, Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, told a CW-affiliate in Los Angeles.

“It is fairly common for hurricanes to track towards Hawaii, but they usually dissipate or at least weaken considerably before impacting the islands, he said.