Hurricane Karina and Tropical Storm Lowell were churning westward over the North Pacific Ocean on Monday evening.
At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Karina was located at latitude 17.8°N and longitude 126.6°W which put the center about 1135 miles (1830 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Karina was moving toward the west-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 155 m.p.h. (250 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 950 mb.
Hurricane Karina maintained its intensity on Monday as it churned west over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. A circular eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) was at the center of Karina’s circulation. 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 upper level divergence that pumped large amounts of mass away from the hurricane. The removal of mass in the upper levels was nearly equal to the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere. So, the surface pressure was nearly constant on Monday.
The distribution of wind speeds in Hurricane Karina was fairly symmetrical. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Karina’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of Hurricane Karina.
Hurricane Karina will move through an environment favorable for a strong hurricane during the next 24 hours. Karina will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Karina is likely to maintain its intensity on Tuesday.
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 continue to move farther away from Baja California.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Lowell intensified gradually on Monday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Lowell was located at latitude 13.0°N and longitude 147.4°W which put the center about 690 miles (1110 km) southeast Hilo, Hawaii. Lowell was moving toward the west at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 70 m.p.h. (110 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 993 mb.