6 Aug 2018

Hurricane Hector returns to Category 4 as it nears Hawaii

2:44 pm on 6 August 2018

Hurricane Hector has returned to a Category 4 storm and picked-up speed as it moves towards Hawaii's Big Island.

A satellite image, supplied by the US National Weather Service, shows Hurricane Hector, a category four, as it moves towards the south of Hawaii.

A satellite image, supplied by the US National Weather Service, shows Hurricane Hector, a category four, as it moves towards the south of Hawaii. Photo: US National Weather Service

The US National Hurricane Centre is urging people in Hawaii to prepare for its arrival in the coming days.

The storm was downgraded to a Category 3 this morning, but in its latest warning, the National Weather Service said it was again a category four, with winds as high as 200kph at its centre.

The hurricane is now forecast to pass the south of Hawaii on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, firefighters continue to battle several bushfires across the state, which has experienced below normal rainfall for much of the year.