Pegasus Research Consortium

(CNN) -- Hurricane Arthur is muscling up, gaining strength for its expected brush with the North Carolina coast Thursday night.

The storm, which developed into a hurricane early in the day, was expected to grow to Category 2 strength with winds of 105 mph before grazing the coast, then steadily weaken as it moves north, the National Hurricane Center said.

It's expected to bring storm surges of up to 5 feet, as well as large, damaging waves, high winds and dangerous rip currents that authorities warned could sweep even the strongest swimmers out to sea.

"This is no time to put your stupid hat on," North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory told CNN's "New Day" on Thursday.

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Hurricane Arthur is strengthening over the Atlantic, with forecasters predicting it will become a strong Category 2 as it threatens to deliver North Carolina a glancing blow on Independence Day.
 
The hurricane's maximum sustained winds late Thursday morning were 90 mph as the storm's outer bands started to reach southern parts of North Carolina. Category 2 hurricanes pack winds of more than 96 mph.
 
The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Arthur is centered about 260 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and about 110 miles south-southwest of Cape Fear. It's moving north at 14 mph.
 
Predicted heavy rains and winds prompted thousands of vacationers and residents to leave parts of the state's popular flood-prone Outer Banks.

 
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Hatteras island was under a mandatory evacuation order for visitors and residents, with officials asking an estimated 35,000 people to leave through North Carolina Route 12, the only road on and off the island.
 
Forecasters expect Arthur to whip past the Outer Banks -- a 200-mile string of narrow barrier islands with about 57,000 permanent residents -- on Friday without making landfall but still bringing rain, heavy winds, storm surge and dangerous rip tides.
 
Before the storm hit, tourism officials had expected 250,000 people to travel to the Outer Banks for the holiday weekend. Gov. Pat McCrory warned people not to risk their safety by trying to salvage their barbecues and pre-paid beach vacations.

"Don't put your stupid hat on," McCrory said Wednesday, urging swimmers and surfers to avoid the water regardless of how good the waves might look.

McCrory also declared a state of emergency for 25 coastal and adjoining counties. 

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[UPDATE THURSDAY 2:45 P.M.] From the National Weather Service: At 2 p.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Arthur was located near latitude 32.9N, longitude 78.3W.

This was about 230 miles southwest of Buxton, N.C., or about 150 miles southwest of Morehead City. Storm motion was north-northeast or 15 degrees at 13 mph. The storm intensity was 90 mph.

This is just 6 mph shy of category 2. Arthur is expected to be a category 2 hurricane by Thursday evening.
CATEGORY 1: 74-95 mph
CATEGORY 2:  96-110 mph
CATEGORY 3: 111-129 mph
CATEGORY 4: 130-156 mph
CATEGORY 5: 157+ mph

SITUATION OVERVIEW: Hurricane Arthur will continue to move North-northeast Thursday afternoon, then turn toward the northeast and increase in forward speed later Thursday afternoon, followed by a further increase in forward speed Thursday night and Friday.

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Sorry but better them than me.