Karina rapidly becomes a major hurricane in the Pacific

The hurricane is located about 1545km west-southwest of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. While Karina is expected to stay well offshore, it could churn up dangerous surf along the southwest Mexico coastline and the Baja peninsula.

While Karina was expected to stay well away from land, swells from the storm were likely to cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions along parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, the hurricane centre said.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Lowell was about 1585km east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 85km/h and posed no immediate threat to land.