At 500 AM HST (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Hector was located near latitude 16.4 North, longitude 153.9 West. Hector is moving toward the west near 16 mph (26 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue through Thursday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph (205 km/h) with higher gusts.  Hector is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  Some slight weakening is forecast during th next couple of days.  However, Hector will likely remain a powerful hurricane through Thursday night.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 956 mb (28.23 inches).

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
 
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Hawaii County
 
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area later today.