From NOAA Central Pacific Hurricane Center, August 6, 2018, 5PM HST

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* HAWAII COUNTY
 
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 48 HOURS.
 
INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SHOULD MONITOR THE
PROGRESS OF HECTOR.
 
HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 15.7N 144.7W AT 07/0300Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN  20 NM
 
PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST OR 285 DEGREES AT  14 KT
 
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE  936 MB
EYE DIAMETER  15 NM
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 135 KT WITH GUSTS TO 165 KT.

Aug 4, 2018: Hector strengthens to Category 4 hurricane

Star-Adv: …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….

read … Hector strengthens to Category 4 hurricane

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HURRICANE HECTOR THREATENS TO CLOBBER HAWAII AS THE STORM PICKS UP STEAM

by Chris White, Daily Caller, August 3, 2018

Hurricane Hector could pound parts of Hawaii as the storm speeds west at a 12-mile-per-hour clip through the Pacific Ocean.

Chances of Hector hitting Hawaii ticked up slightly as forecast models indicate the Category 3 storms is cutting it close on a southward scoot below the Big Island, according to a tweet Friday from Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at Weather.us.

Hector has sustained maximum winds of near 105 mph, with higher gusts. It is expected to become a major hurricane within the next day or two — Hector could be the first major hurricane this season to make landfall in the U.S.

Ryan Maue | weathermodels.com ✔@RyanMaue

Chances of Hurricane Hector affecting Hawaii slightly increased w/updated model. Spaghetti indicate more intense storm (Categort 3) cutting it close on a southward scoot below the Big Island.

12:04 AM - Aug 3, 2018

Hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean have stuttered as a massive North African dust cloud suppresses hurricane activity from Africa to Houston. The air originated in the Sahara Desert and is dominating weather across the Atlantic and beyond.

Warm, moist air is the special ingredient necessary to generate enough energy to transform a tropical storm into a raging hurricane. Dry air acts as a type of kryptonite, denying a storm cell the energy required to power blast across the Atlantic.

One hundred million tons of Saharan dust permeates across the Americas ever year, reaching deep into the Amazon and spreading across the southeastern section of Houston, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The dust trail tracts along the route hurricanes usually travel.

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News Release: Honolulu Mayor urges residents to prepare as Hurricane Hector approaches Central Pacific   

News Release: Maui Emergency Management Agency Urges Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Hector

DCCA RELEASE: STATE DIRECTS HOMEOWNERS TO REVIEW INSURANCE POLICIES TO PREPARE FOR NATURAL DISASTERS

HIEMA NEWS RELEASE: HURRICANE HECTOR: PUBLIC URGED TO PREPARE OVER WEEKEND