Hurricane Kiko continued its steady west-northwest movement today while remaining well to the east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

At 5 a.m., Kiko was about 1,245 miles east-southeast of Hilo and 1,450 miles east-southeast of Honolulu, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph and higher gusts. The storm is now classified as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Forecasters said Kiko is moving west-northwest at about 9 mph, a motion expected to continue for the next few days. While some fluctuations in intensity are possible through Sunday, gradual weakening is forecast by early next week as the system encounters cooler waters.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but the National Weather Service

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