A major hurricane is churning in the Pacific Ocean several hundred miles away from Hawaii. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tuesday that Hurricane Iona is one of two major weather systems in the ocean but poses no threat to the islands.

Hurricane Iona rapidly strengthened overnight into a Category 3 hurricane well south of the Hawaiian Islands and is expected to reach Category 4 intensity later today, forecasters said.

Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli are moving west well south of the state. There is also third area the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is tracking for tropical cyclone development east of Keli. All three systems will not threaten Hawaii with severe weather, but stronger winds are likely as they pass to our south.