A tropical storm warning has been issued for Hawaii County as Hurricane Hector continues its approach toward Hawaiian waters.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.
As of 5 p.m. today, the center of Hector was located about 360 miles east-southeast of Hilo, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 miles an hour with higher gusts.
The Category 4 storm is moving westward at 16 mph.
The center of the storm will pass between 100 and 150 miles south of South Point sometime during the day on Wednesday, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. The hurricane center said in its 5 p.m. update the “far northern fringes of the hurricane will brush the Big Island on Wednesday.”
A high surf warning is also in effect for east-facing shores of the Big Island. Swells generated by Hector are expected to reach southeast and east facing shores of the Big Island and eastern Maui late today, likely becoming large and dangerous by late tonight and Wednesday.