Overview
- The National Hurricane Center and Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured sustained winds near 165–180 mph after Polo underwent extreme rapid intensification, with winds rising about 110 mph in roughly 24 hours.
- Forecasters expect Polo’s core to remain offshore while its slow, looping track brings 3 to 8 inches of rain to coastal Guerrero and Michoacán with isolated higher totals that could cause life‑threatening flooding and mudslides.
- Mexican authorities closed ports, suspended some schools and issued tropical storm watches and warnings for parts of the southwest coast as rough surf, large swells and dangerous rip currents already batter beaches.
- Track uncertainty has grown because Tropical Storm Odalys and changing upper‑level steering could alter Polo’s path over the coming days, creating a plausible risk that swells and tropical moisture will reach Baja and parts of the U.S. Southwest.
- Scientists say Polo’s rapid growth is linked to record-warm sea‑surface temperatures tied to a strong El Niño, a pattern that has increased eastern Pacific storm intensity and produced events comparable to Hurricanes Patricia (2015) and Otis (2023).