Hurricane Dora strengthened to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Thursday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Dora was located at latitude 14.1°N and longitude 123.4°W which put it about 2160 miles (3480 km) east of the South Point, Hawaii. Dora was moving toward the west at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 140 m.p.h. (225 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 170 m.p.h. (280 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 950 mb.

Hurricane Dora intensified to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Thursday. A small circular eye was at the center of Dora’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Dora. Storms Near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Dora remained very small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Dora’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 28.3. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was only 5.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 34.0. Hurricane Dora was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Charley when Charley hit Southwest Florida in 2004.

Hurricane Dora will move through an environment that will become slightly less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Dora will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Dora could start to weaken as it moves over slightly cooler water. Dora could also start to weaken if the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall. Since the circulation around Hurricane Dora is so small, any changes in the environment will have large effects on the intensity of Dora.

Hurricane Dora will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dora toward the west-southwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Dora could pass south of Hawaii early next week.