5 p.m.

Hurricane Hector has strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center said Hector is expected to remain a major hurricane as it moves into the central Pacific basin. Hector is expected to cross the central Pacific basin late Sunday or early Monday.

Winds have increased to 130 mph with higher gusts. Hector is about 1,395 miles east-southeast of Hilo.

Hector is moving toward the west near 12 mph and is expected to continue this motion with an increase in speed for the next few days.

11 a.m.

Hurricane Hector’s wind strength has increased to 125 mph as it moved westward this morning.

Hector is expected to increase in intensity over the next two or three days.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts the hurricane will cross into the Central Pacific Basin early Monday. Hector is located about 1,460 miles east of Hilo.

5 a.m.

Hector continues to move westward with wind speeds of 120 mph and may affect portions of the Hawaiian Islands by the middle of next week.

The “small, but powerful” Hector remains a Category 3 hurricane and is expected to grow in intensity through early next week.

Hector was located about 1,525 miles east of Hilo as of this morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“It is too soon to specify the magnitude of any impacts or where they could occur,” according to the latest update.

Hector is expected arrive at the Central Pacific basin early Monday.

The National Hurricane Center recommends local residents ensure they have a hurricane plan in place. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency urges residents to prepare an emergency kit this weekend. The recommended kit includes food, water and other supplies to last a minimum of 14 days.

“Hector is our first hurricane this year,” said Tom Travis, administrator of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency in a statement. “We want to remind the public we are in the middle of the hurricane season and we urge people to take the weekend to prepare their homes and families for impacts that could be felt statewide.”

FRIDAY, AUG. 3

11 p.m.

Hector remains a Category 3 hurricane, moving westward near 12 mph, which will likely continue for the next several days.

On the forecast track, Hector is expected to reach the Central Pacific basin early Monday.

The center of Hector was located 1,590 miles east of Hilo as of 11 p.m.

Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles.

5 p.m.

Hector strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane today. The major hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and is moving toward the west at 12 mph. The National Hurricane Center said the motion is expected to continue for the next several days.

The center of Hector was located 1,421 miles east of Hilo as of 5 p.m.

Additional strengthening at a slower rate is expected over the next few days.

11 a.m.

Hector regained some strength today and is once again a Category 2 hurricane.

With maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, Hector is on track to become a major hurricane Saturday and continue its westward march at that strength for a few days, according to officials at the National Hurricane Center.

As of 11 a.m., the center of Hector was located 1,715 miles east of Hilo and moving west at 12 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles, weather officials said.

“There is the potential for Hector to bring some impacts to portions of the Hawaiian Islands by the middle of next week, but it is too soon to specify the magnitude of the impacts or where they could occur,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin.

Previous coverage

Although Hurricane Hector weakened slightly overnight, weather officials still expect the storm to strengthen into a major hurricane this weekend.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, Hector was located 1,770 miles east-southeast of Hilo and 1,980 miles east-southeast of Honolulu as of 5 a.m., according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. The storm is moving west at 12 mph.

Forecasters expect Hector to start regaining strength tonight. Hurricane-force winds extend outward from Hector’s center up to 15 miles and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles.