Hurricane Karina rapidly intensified to a major hurricane on Sunday evening as it moved over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Baja California. At 8:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Hurricane Karina was located at latitude 17.2°N and longitude 123.4°W which put the center about 960 miles (1545 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Karina was moving toward the west at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 955 mb.
Hurricane Karina rapidly intensified to a major hurricane on Sunday evening. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the center of Karina’s circulation. A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) formed at the center of Hurricane Karina. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Karina’s circulation. Storms near the core of Karina generated strong upper level divergence that pumped large amounts of mass away from the hurricane. The removal of large amounts of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.
The inner core of Hurricane Karina was very small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 15 miles (25 km) from the center of Karina’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 205 miles (335 km) from the center of Hurricane Karina.
Hurricane Karina will move through an environment mostly favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Karina will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, there is a mass of drier air just to the west and north of Hurricane Karina. The drier air will inhibit intensification of Karina, but the drier air probably will not be enough to prevent intensification. Hurricane Karina is likely to intensify during the next 24 hours. Karina could continue to intensify rapidly during the next few hours, if the drier air does not get pulled into its circulation.
Hurricane Karina will move around the southern part of a high pressure system that is over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Karina toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Karina will move farther away from Baja California.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Lowell moved over the Central Pacific Ocean. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Lowell was located at latitude 13.3°N and longitude 141.8°W which put the center about 985 miles (1585 km) east-southeast Hilo, Hawaii. Lowell was moving toward the west at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.