Mexico City, Sept. 22 (SANA) Hurricane Polo strengthened into a powerful Category 5 storm over the eastern Pacific on Tuesday after undergoing an exceptionally rapid intensification, with maximum sustained winds reaching 180 mph (290 kph).
The hurricane’s winds increased by about 110 mph (177 kph) within 24 hours, taking Polo from a 50-mph tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane with winds of at least 160 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The NHC described the rate of intensification as “truly remarkable,” placing it among the fastest recorded in the eastern Pacific.
Polo’s 24-hour strengthening was close to the eastern Pacific record set by Hurricane Patricia in 2015, when its maximum sustained winds increased by 120 mph. It also surpassed the 105-mph increase recorded during Hurricane Otis’ rapid intensification in 2023 before it struck Acapulco, Mexico.
Polo was located several hundred miles south-southeast of Manzanillo on Tuesday. Its hurricane-force winds were forecast to remain offshore as the storm turns northwestward and moves roughly parallel to Mexico’s Pacific coast through the end of the week.
Tropical storm alerts were in effect along parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast, where tropical storm conditions were expected by early Wednesday.
Heavy rainfall was expected to pose the main threat on land, raising the risk of life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.
Guerrero and Michoacán states could receive 3 to 6 inches (75-150 mm) of rain, with isolated totals of up to 8 inches (200 mm) through Thursday. Coastal areas of Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco could receive 2 to 4 inches (50-100 mm).
Meteorologists said Polo’s explosive strengthening was aided by favorable atmospheric conditions and unusually warm Pacific waters associated with a strong El Niño. Scientists have also found that warming oceans can provide additional energy for tropical cyclones and increase the likelihood of rapid intensification.
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