Surf’s up, Dude!
Douglas has rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on Thursday with wind speeds of 120 mph.
“The Hawaiian Islands should monitor the progress of Douglas.”
National Hurricane Center
The storm is over 1,000 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, but is moving west-northwest toward the island chain.
The storm is forecast to continue to strengthen today but expected to start weakening by Friday.”Douglas is expected to be at or near hurricane intensity as it approaches the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday,” the NHC says.
Rare for strong hurricanes to reach Hawaii
“It is fairly common for hurricanes to track towards Hawaii, but they usually dissipate or at least weaken considerably before impacting the islands…….For example, both Lane and Olivia impacted Hawaii in 2018. Also, in 2016, both Lester and Madeline threatened Hawaii.”
Phil Klotzbach
Colorado State University
Although a hurricane’s effects on Hawaii can be severe, it is rare for major hurricanes to reach the shores of the island chain. For one, the Hawaiian Islands are a small plot of land amongst the largest ocean basin in the world making the statistical probability of a direct landfall very low.
Hawaii covers 6,423 square miles of land divided up among six main islands, making the chance of a direct landfall even less likely. Florida, by comparison, is a significantly easier target for hurricanes to strike as it covers more than 50,000 square miles.
Douglas is expected to bring wind, rain and dangerous surf to Hawaii by the weekend, although it may be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reaches the islands.
Hurricane Douglas rapidly intensified into a major hurricane as it moves toward Hawaii
Calamity Jane