Key facts
- Hurricane Polo intensified to a Category 5 storm with 165 mph winds.
- Mexico's coast faces risks of life-threatening floods and mudslides.
- The storm is fueled by strong El Niño weather patterns.
- Rainfall of 4 to 6 inches is expected in coastal areas through Thursday.
- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said landfall was not expected.
- Hurricane Polo registered 892 millibars, making it the second-most intense hurricane on record in the east Pacific.
Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm off Mexico's coast, bringing heavy rain and concerns of life-threatening floods and mudslides. The storm's rapid growth is attributed to strong El Niño weather patterns in the Pacific Ocean, which has amplified extreme weather events globally.
As of September 22, Polo registered 892 millibars, making it the second-most intense hurricane on record in the east Pacific. Its maximum sustained winds reached around 150 mph, with stronger gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward for approximately 40 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds reach as far as 125 miles. Forecasters warned that while direct landfall was unlikely, inland areas could experience life-threatening flooding and mudslides, along with dangerous surf and rip currents.
El Niño, characterized by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific, is known to promote increased storm activity in the Pacific basin. Meteorologists noted that the current El Niño is one of the strongest on record. Polo is the 18th named storm and seventh hurricane of the 2026 Pacific hurricane season.