UPDATE: 12:05 a.m. Sunday

Hurricane Lane, a powerful Category 3 storm, is moving west in the Central Pacific on a path that will take it south of the Hawaiian islands later this week.

Lane is packing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph with higher gusts and was about 1,180 miles east-southeast of Hilo moving west at 16 mph as of late Saturday night. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from Lane’s center and tropical-storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extend up to 105 miles, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Hawaii.

The storm is forecast to follow a similar path as Hurricane Hector which passed safely south of Hawaii earlier this month.

The five-day forecast for Lane calls for it to weaken to tropical-storm strength south of the islands by midweek.

“Lane is forecast to pass south of the main Hawaiian islands Wednesday and Thursday, potentially causing local impacts as it tracks west-northwestward,” forecasters said at 11 p.m. Saturday. “Interests in those islands should watch the progress of Lane closely, since long-range forecast track and intensity errors can be large.”

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5 p.m. Saturday

Hurricane Lane moved into the Central Pacific this afternoon as a category 4 hurricane.

Lane is located 1,050 miles east-southeast of Hilo and 1,260 miles east-southeast of Honolulu. It has maximum sustained winds at 130 mph and is moving toward the west at 16 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center.

A motion between west and west-northwest with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next few days.

11 a.m.

Hurricane Lane is expected to cross into the Central Pacific basin in the next few hours.

The category 4 hurricane is located 1,135 miles east-southeast of Hilo with winds at 140 mph. Lane is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph. A motion between west and west-northwest with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next few days.

6:19 a.m.

Hurricane Lane continued to strengthen this morning, now packing maximum sustained winds of up to 140 mph with higher gusts.

As of 5 a.m. Hawaii time, Lane was located 1,230 miles east of Hilo and forecasted to reach the Central Pacific basin later today. Forecasters are predicting little change to Lane’s strength today and a gradual weakening beginning Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the eye of the hurricane and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

Check back this afternoon for another update.

FRIDAY, AUG. 17

11 p.m.

Hurricane Lane has strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane as it continues to head toward the Central Pacific, the National Weather Service said in its latest report.

Lane was last located 1,310 miles east-southeast of Hilo and moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph. It is expected to move either west or west-northwest with a small decrease in forward speed.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph with higher gusts. It’s possible winds may strengthen even more this weekend, but a gradual weakening is forecast after.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

5:15 p.m.

The eye of Hurricane Lane has become better defined as the storm tracks westward at 16 mph, the National Weather Service said.

The eye is about 1,405 miles east-southeast of Hilo with 120 mph sustained winds and higher gusts.

The storm was expected to strengthen over the next 12 hours, becoming a category 4 hurricane tonight or Saturday. Beyond that, the intensity of the storm is expected to fluctuate over the weekend.

Currently, hurricane-force winds are extending 25 miles outward with tropical storm-force winds reaching up to 105 miles from the center.

Forecasters predict Hurricane Lane will cross into the central Pacific basin on Saturday with its probable path showing the storm passing to the south of the islands.

1:10 p.m.

As Hurricane Lane is forecasted to possibly strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane on Saturday, it’s uncertain whether it will have any direct impacts to the main Hawaiian Islands when it crosses into the Central Pacific, according to the National Weather Service.

It is too soon to say, said forecaster Derek Wroe adding they will have a better handle on any possible impacts later in the weekend.

The public is reminded to have a hurricane plan in place and emergency supply kit readily on hand. “We’re in the peak of the hurricane season now,” he added.

11 a.m.

Hurricane Lane continues to rapidly grow stronger and remains on track to become a major hurricane tonight.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, Lane was located about 1,505 miles east-southeast of Hilo at 11 a.m. and was heading west at 16 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Weather officials expect Lane to keep getting stronger over the next 24 hours, possibly becoming a Category 4 hurricane on Saturday.

Lane is expected to track between a west and west-northwest trajectory and cross into the Central Pacific on Saturday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from Lane’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

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Lane got significantly stronger overnight, strengthening into a Category 2 hurricane.

Now packing maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, Hurricane Lane was located 1,590 miles east-southeast of Hilo at 5 a.m. today and was moving west at 16 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Weather officials expect Lane to become a major hurricane tonight and to move west or west-northwest over the next few days.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale for Hawaii is a 1 to 5 categorization based on the hurricane’s intensity. The scale provides examples of the type of impacts associated with wind intensity.

>> Tropical Storm: winds 39-73 mph (34-63 kt)

>> Category 1: winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt)

>> Category 2: winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt)

>> Category 3: winds 111-129 mph (96-112 kt)

>> Category 4: winds 130-156 mph (113-136 kt)

>> Category 5: winds 157 mph and up (137+ kt)

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from Lane’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.