Hurricane Polo Explodes Into Category 5 Off Mexico 

Hurricane Polo has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane in the eastern Pacific. 

Polo’s winds jumped 110 mph in just 24 hours, a rate that according to CNN the National Hurricane Center (NHC) called “truly remarkable” and among the fastest on record in the region. 

That puts it close to 2023’s Hurricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco after a similar surge, and behind only Hurricane Patricia’s 2015 record of a 120 mph jump.

As of Tuesday morning, Polo carried maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and is expected to turn northwest and track parallel to Mexico’s southwestern coast. Forecasters expect the strongest hurricane winds to remain offshore. 

However, parts of Mexico could still see dangerous conditions, with rain expected to be Polo’s biggest threat onshore. The NHC forecasts 4 to 8 inches across Guerrero and Michoacán through Thursday, with isolated totals up to 12 inches, raising the risk of life-threatening flooding and mudslides. 

A tropical storm watch is in effect along Mexico’s southwestern coast from Tecpán de Galeana to Manzanillo.

Tropical Storm Odalys is also active in the Pacific. It is located far west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and could strengthen into a hurricane by midweek. 

El Niño is driving up ocean temperatures across the Pacific more broadly, which weather experts say is contributing to a hyperactive season in the region even as the Atlantic has yet to produce a single hurricane this year.