Tropical Storm Karina likely to intensify into monster hurricane: Is there a threat to Southern California?

Tropical Storm Karina is expected to become a powerful Category 3 hurricane by Sunday, according to predictions from the National Hurricane Center. The storm, currently possessing winds exceeding 50 mph, has several potential paths that may bring it to California's coast, affecting millions of Americans. While the European model remains uncertain, both the American and updated European models now suggest a trajectory toward Southern California and regions north of it.

Notably, California has never experienced a hurricane landfall, with the last tropical storm affecting the state occurring in 1997. Currently, Karina is located about 1,400 miles south of San Diego and moving northwest at a speed of 13 mph, well offshore from Mexico. Despite its distance from the shore, the National Hurricane Center warns that tropical storm-force winds extend over 200 miles from its center.

The storm could generate swells along the southwestern coast of Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, posing a risk of dangerous rip currents for swimmers.