Where was Hurricane Karina located and how strong was it when it intensified?

Karina was about 820 miles southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. The National Hurricane Center said it had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, or 130 kilometers per hour, which made it a Category 1 hurricane.

Why was Hurricane Karina still a concern if it was far from land?

The storm’s center was far out at sea and was not threatening land, but swells from Karina were expected to create dangerous surf and rip current conditions. Those conditions were forecast for parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula.

What did forecasters say about the Atlantic hurricane season outlook?

NOAA forecast a below-average Atlantic hurricane season because of El Nino. It projected eight to 14 named storms, with three to six becoming hurricanes and one to three strengthening into major hurricanes.

Tropical storm Karina strengthens into hurricane in Pacific, threatens major damage this week

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Summary

Tropical Storm Karina strengthened into a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday and could become a major storm this week, forecasters said. The storm was far offshore and was not threatening land. It had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour and was moving northwest. Swells could still bring dangerous surf and rip currents to parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula.

Key Facts

Karina had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, or 130 kilometers per hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane.
The storm was about 820 miles southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.
The National Hurricane Center said Karina was moving northwest at 15 miles per hour.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Lowell was 1,150 miles southeast of Hawaii and posed no threat to land.
NOAA forecast a below-average Atlantic hurricane season due to El Nino and projected eight to 14 named storms, three to six hurricanes, and one to three major hurricanes.

By AP

Published Aug 30, 2026 9:36 pm KST

A satellite image shows Hurricane Karina strengthening off the southern tip of Baja California, Sunday. AP-Yonhap

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Karina strengthened into a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday and could become a major storm this week, forecasters said. The cyclone's center was at far out sea and was not threatening land.

Karina had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said, making it a Category 1 hurricane. A major hurricane is Category 3 or greater.

The storm was located about 820 miles southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula and was moving and was moving northwest at 15 miles per hour a forecast path farther out into the Pacific.

While Karina was expected to stay well away from land, swells from the storm were likely to cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions along parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, the hurricane center said.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Lowell was 1,150 miles southeast of Hawaii, and it too posed no threat to land.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast a below-average Atlantic hurricane season due to El Nino.

It predicted eight to 14 named storms, with three to six of them reaching hurricane strength and one to three intensifying to major hurricanes.

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