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September 1, 2026 - Hurricane Karina Over the Pacific Ocean
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Tropical Storm Karina formed over the Pacific Ocean well off the coast of southwest Mexico on August 27, 2026. Early the next day, the storm had begun to show signs of strengthening in favorable conditions, prompting the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to advise, “Karina forecast to become a formidable hurricane”. The forecast became fact on August 30, when Hurricane Karina’s maximum sustained winds reached 145 miles per hour (230 km/h), placing it as a potentially devastating Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of Hurricane Karina on August 30, when the storm was at peak intensity. Convective bands wrap tightly around a large and partially cloud filled eye, creating the apostrophe shape typical of strong hurricanes.
At 2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) on August 31, Hurricane Karina maintained Category 4 status, although maximum sustained winds had dropped to 130 miles per hour (215 km/h), according to the NHC. It was located about 1,095 miles (1,760 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and far from interaction with any land. The NHC forecasts that Karina should continue moving west-southwestward over the Pacific Ocean for the next several days. Karina’s strength is expected to fluctuate slightly for the next day or so, before beginning a clear weakening trend.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 8/30/2026
Resolutions:
1km (2.1 MB), 500m (6 MB), 250m (4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Tropical Storm Karina formed over the Pacific Ocean well off the coast of southwest Mexico on August 27, 2026. Early the next day, the storm had begun to show signs of strengthening in favorable conditions, prompting the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to advise, “Karina forecast to become a formidable hurricane”. The forecast became fact on August 30, when Hurricane Karina’s maximum sustained winds reached 145 miles per hour (230 km/h), placing it as a potentially devastating Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of Hurricane Karina on August 30, when the storm was at peak intensity. Convective bands wrap tightly around a large and partially cloud filled eye, creating the apostrophe shape typical of strong hurricanes.
At 2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) on August 31, Hurricane Karina maintained Category 4 status, although maximum sustained winds had dropped to 130 miles per hour (215 km/h), according to the NHC. It was located about 1,095 miles (1,760 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and far from interaction with any land. The NHC forecasts that Karina should continue moving west-southwestward over the Pacific Ocean for the next several days. Karina’s strength is expected to fluctuate slightly for the next day or so, before beginning a clear weakening trend.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 8/30/2026
Resolutions:
1km (2.1 MB), 500m (6 MB), 250m (4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
