The storm has intensified quickly since becoming a hurricane Sunday and has been fueled by warm waters far offshore, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Despite Karina’s power, it is not the strongest hurricane in the Pacific this season. That honor goes to Hurricane Genevieve, which peaked as a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds in late July.

Hawaii is under a state of emergency with powerful Hurricane Lowell set to bear down on its western islands.

Hurricane Karina formed in the Pacific on Sunday and strengthened into a major Category 4 storm Monday morning.

: 5 p.m. Lowell has decreased in strength into a Category 4 hurricane but is expected to remain as a major hurricane over the next several days, according to a NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft.

Karina rapidly strengthened into a major Category 3 hurricane Sunday evening and was moving west over the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said.

The storm continues to move west at 9 mph, but isn't expected to threaten land.

Hurricane Lowell is churning as a Category 4 hurricane about 600 miles south of Kauaʻi, packing maximum sustained winds of ...

Hurricane Lala has strengthened into a Category 4 Hurricane as the National Hurricane Center warns it will 'begin affecting the northwestern Hawaiian islands by Wednesday night' ...

HONOLULU (Island News) -- Hurricane Lowell has restrengthened and become a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds, about 615 ...

Lowell weakened from a category 5 to a category 4 hurricane, according to the 5 p.m. advisory issued Wednesday, Sep. 2, by ...

Hurricane Karina strengthened Monday into a powerful Category 4 storm in the Pacific Ocean, but it isn't threatening land, forecasters said. (AP Photo) ...