Jova becomes Western Hemisphere's strongest hurricane so far in 2023 ... for now

[Weatherman827]

Hurricane Jova, churning west across the open Pacific Ocean, strengthened into a major Category 5 hurricane for a time from Wednesday evening into Thursday morning in the Eastern Pacific. However, the storm poses no immediate threat to land, AccuWeather hurricane experts say.

The powerhouse hurricane, the first to achieve Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) in the basin since there were three such storms in 2018, may soon have company in the Atlantic, as Hurricane Lee strengthens into this weekend. AccuWeather, however, does not expect both hurricanes to be at their peak strength at the same time.