Hurricane Polo Weakens Slightly to Category 4, Begins Moving Away From Mexico’s Coast
Hurricane Polo has begun pulling away from the coast of southwestern Mexico, according to the latest advisory from the US National Hurricane Center, with maximum sustained winds now near 155 mph, placing it as a Category 4 storm.
As of 9:00am CST Thursday, Polo’s center was located about 195 miles west-southwest of Zihuatanejo and roughly 150 miles south of Manzanillo, moving west-northwest at 10 mph. Forecasters expect the storm to turn west later Thursday and Friday, followed by a west-northwest track on Saturday, continuing to move away from Mexico’s coast.
The storm’s minimum central pressure was recorded at 928 millibars. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 40 miles from Polo’s center, with tropical storm-force winds reaching out as far as 125 miles. The Hurricane Center says some fluctuation in strength remains possible over the next couple of days.
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect from Tecpan de Galeana to Manzanillo, with a Tropical Storm Watch in place from west of Manzanillo to Playa Perula. Tropical storm conditions are already occurring along the coast within the warning area and are expected to continue for several more hours, with similar conditions possible within the watch area.
Forecasters warned that Polo could produce additional rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals up to 6 inches, across coastal portions of Michoacán, Colima, northern and southern Jalisco, and Nayarit, rain the Hurricane Center says could trigger life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas with steep terrain. An additional 1 to 2 inches of rain is possible across coastal Guerrero and central Jalisco.
Swells generated by Polo are expected to affect southwestern Mexico’s coast over the next couple of days, spreading north toward west-central Mexico and Baja California Sur by Friday and into the weekend. Officials warned these swells are likely to produce life-threatening surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding.
The Hurricane Center is urging residents elsewhere along the coast of southwestern Mexico and Baja California Sur to continue monitoring the storm’s progress. The next advisory is expected at 3:00pm CST.