Karina rapidly becomes a major hurricane in the Pacific far from land, forecasters say

Hurricane Karina rapidly gained strength in the Pacific Ocean, intensifying from a Category 1 to a Category 3 storm within hours. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Karina reached maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) as it moved west at a speed of 9 mph (15 kph). Located about 960 miles (1,545 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, the hurricane was forecast to remain far from land, though swells from the storm could create dangerous surf and rip current conditions along stretches of southwest Mexico and Baja California coastlines.

Despite not posing an immediate threat to land, Karina's strengthening continued over warm waters, with meteorologists predicting that additional intensification might occur over the next day. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lowell was located east of Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and no immediate threat to land, but it could become a hurricane by Monday night or Tuesday.