Will tropical cyclone Karina reach Saffir‑Simpson Category 4 intensity?

Warum: Multiple independent, credible sources in the provided evidence report that Hurricane Karina reached Saffir–Simpson Category 4 before the cutoff. NASA/MODIS imagery and caption explicitly state the Aqua/MODIS image was acquired on 2026-08-30 “when Hurricane Karina’s maximum sustained winds reached 145 miles per hour (230 km/h), placing it ... Category 4.” US News reports Karina “developed into a Category 4” (winds ≥145 mph) late on the prior Sunday. Infobae cites an NHC advisory giving sustained winds of 230 km/h (145 mph) and central pressure near 942 mb, saying Karina escalated to Category 4 at the close of Sunday 2026-08-30. La Prensa also reports Karina reached Category 4 with 145 mph winds. These independent, dated reports (including NASA’s observation) establish Karina attained Category 4 intensity on 2026-08-30, which is before 2026-09-03 12:00 UTC. A later NHC discussion in the pool shows the storm had weakened by 2026-09-03 15:00Z, but that does not contradict the earlier Category 4 peak.