Hurricane Kiko continued to intensify early today as it churned well east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, with forecasters expecting it to become a major hurricane later today.

As of 5 a.m., Kiko was about 1,665 miles east of Hilo, moving west at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds near 110 mph and higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The system is forecast to strengthen further over the next 48 hours and could reach Category 3 strength by tonight.

No coastal watches or warnings are in effect, and forecasters say it is still too early to know if Kiko will have any direct impacts on Hawaii. The storm is expected to continue on a general westward path before making a gradual turn toward the west-northwest later this week.

The National Weather Service in Hon

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