Hurricane Dorian Forecast to Be Powerful Category 4 Storm as It Nears Florida

Hurricane Dorian is shown in this photo taken by NASA's Terra satellite MODIS instrument as it nears St. Thomas and the U.S. Virgin Islands as it continues its track toward Florida's east coast August 28, 2019. NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)/Handout via REUTERS

Hurricane Dorian might strengthen to become a major Category 4 hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida, according to forecasters on Thursday, Aug. 29.

The storm is forecast to reach Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale by Friday. Now, there is an “increasing likelihood of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the Florida east coast,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned. Devastating hurricane-force winds are also forecast, NHC said, Reuters reported.