Hurricane Karina rapidly gained strength Sunday afternoon, turning into a major Category 3 hurricane far off the coast in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
According to a special update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the storm’s top sustained winds reached 125 mph, with even stronger gusts. Karina was centered about 960 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, heading west at around 9 mph.
Meteorologists reported that the storm organized much faster than expected over the course of just a few hours. In a written briefing, forecasters noted that “the satellite presentation of Karina has improved immensely over the past several hours,” pointing out that “very cold cloud top temperatures of -70 to -75 C now completely surround a warm eye.”
The agency also stated that the storm “is moving over very warm sea surface temperatures near 29 C and remains in an environment highly conducive to further intensification.”
Karina could grow a bit stronger over the next day or two, with peak winds potentially reaching 140 mph before the system gradually slows down and weakens later in the week.
There are currently no coastal watches or warnings, and the hurricane is not on track to make landfall. However, forecasters warned that the powerful storm is already pushing large ocean swells toward land.
These waves will reach parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula over the next couple of days, creating dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents along the beaches.
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