Hurricane Norman expected to skirt Hawaiian islands

Hurricane Norman was expected to weaken Saturday morning. Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

UPI

Hurricane Norman strengthened to a Category 3 storm Wednesday morning as it moved northwest around the Hawaiian islands, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.

The eye of the storm was 385 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, and 570 miles east of Honolulu, the NHC said in its 5 p.m. HST update. The hurricane was moving west-northwest at 9 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extended 30 miles outward from the storm's center, and tropical storm winds extended outward up to 115 miles. No coastal watches or warnings were in in effect.

"On the forecast track, the center of Norman is expected to pass northeast of the main Hawaiian Islands starting later Thursday," the NHC said.

Forecasters expect the storm to weaken to a tropical storm by Saturday morning.