Hurricane Polo Intensifies to Category 5 Off Mexico Coast

Hurricane Polo intensified rapidly off the southwestern coast of Mexico on Tuesday. The storm strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane, which poses a threat of life-threatening flooding to parts of Guerrero and Michoacán, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Polo achieved Category 5 status on Tuesday morning after maximum winds increased from 150 mph to 160 mph. The National Hurricane Center indicated that additional strengthening might occur through Wednesday.

Located about 220 miles south of Zihuatanejo in Guerrero, and roughly 360 miles south-southeast of Manzanillo in Colima, Polo was moving eastward at 6 mph near Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

The center warned, “Rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.” A tropical storm watch was issued from Tecpan de Galeana to Manzanillo. Meteorologists forecast possible tropical storm conditions within these areas in the next 48 hours.

Forecasters project Polo will follow its current path and then turn sharply northwest on Tuesday night and Wednesday, bringing the hurricane’s core closer to Mexico’s southwestern coast. While the storm is expected to remain offshore, it will likely deliver heavy rainfall and could cause dangerous flooding and mudslides, particularly in steep terrain along the coast.

Some regions in Guerrero and Michoacán might see 4 to 8 inches of rain, with certain locations potentially receiving up to 12 inches by Thursday. Coastal areas of Oaxaca, Colima, and Jalisco might also experience 3 to 6 inches of rainfall through Thursday.