HONOLULU (KHON2) — As of Sept. 3, Hurricane Kiko is now a Category 4 hurricane in the Pacific Ocean, the National Hurricane Center reported.
In an update by the National Weather Service, Hurricane Kiko is about 1,600 miles east of the Big Island.
It is moving towards the west at 9 mph and sustained winds have reached 130 mph. Hurricane Kiko’s motion has gradually shifted towards the west-northwest at increasing speeds.
As of now, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
The jump comes just one day after Hurricane Kiko reached Category 2 storm status. Almost overnight on Sept. 2, it reached Category 3.
A Category 3 storm means it has reached wind speeds ranging from 111 to 129 mph; these winds will cause devastating damage, according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The scale is used to estimate potential property damage based on the wind speeds. There are five different categories on this scale. Anything reported to be above a Category 3 is classified as a major hurricane.
Follow along for more updates to come on Hurricane Kiko’s track.