Hurricane Lowell intensified with stunning speed Tuesday, jumping from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in roughly 24 hours.
The storm, located about 500 miles south-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and tracking west, now has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. Lowell is expected to continue strengthening over the next 12 to 24 hours.
The rapid intensification has exceeded expectations. In its Tuesday evening discussion, the National Hurricane Center said satellite intensity estimates were still trying to catch up with the pace of Lowell's strengthening, calling it "characteristic of a rapidly intensifying cyclone."
Just about 1,400 miles to the east, Hurricane Karina is an even stronger Category 4 storm with 140 mph sustained winds. Located about 1,250 miles west-southwest of Baja California and tracking toward open ocean, Karina could make a run at Category 5 intensity with sustained winds of 157 mph or greater, overnight.
Should both storms somehow reach Category 5 at the same time, it would be the first time two Category 5 hurricanes have existed simultaneously anywhere in the eastern Pacific basin.
Lowell is expected to remain a major hurricane as it passes south of Hawaii later this week. By the weekend, an approaching upper-level trough is forecast to weaken the ridge steering Lowell westward, potentially causing the storm to slow down and turn sharply toward the northwest or north, tracking much closer to the Hawaiian Islands. Karina is expected to slowly weaken over the next few days and remain over the open ocean.
Behind them, Tropical Storm Marie formed Tuesday about 510 miles south off Baja California with 60 mph winds and is expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday.
All three storms are feeding on sea surface temperatures running 1 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal, driven by a developing historically strong El Nino.
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This article originally published at Hurricane Lowell suddenly intensifies to Category 4, forecast to turn toward Hawaii this weekend.