MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Polo has rapidly intensified into one of the most powerful Pacific cyclones in recent history, prompting urgent warnings along Mexico’s southwestern coastline. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Tuesday night that the storm had reached Category 5 status, with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (265 kph).
Polo was centered approximately 210 miles (338 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and appeared nearly stationary over the Pacific Ocean. Meteorologists forecast a slow but sharp turn to the northwest later Tuesday, followed by a west-northwestward track over the coming days.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that experts do not anticipate a direct landfall. However, the NHC emphasized the severe range of the storm’s impact, noting that hurricane-force winds extend up to 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the center, while tropical storm-force winds can be felt as far as 105 miles (169 kilometers) away.
The storm has reignited fears among residents along Mexico’s Pacific coast, which has been battered by powerful cyclones multiple times in recent years. In response, authorities in several areas suspended classes on Tuesday. Mexico’s navy closed ports in the states of Guerrero and Michoacán and issued safety warnings to civilians and fishermen.
Concepción López Villegas, a restaurant owner in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, was preparing her business for potential damage. Strong waves were already crashing against the coastline as she watched men and children observe the turbulent water.
“We’re worried and trying to protect our businesses,” López Villegas said. “And of course, we’re sad because it’s our heritage, our legacy that from one moment to another could be destroyed.”
NHC data indicates that Polo’s wind speeds are comparable only to a handful of storms in the region in recent decades, most notably Hurricane Patricia, which peaked at 215 mph (346 kph) in 2015.
“This is one of the strongest storms ever in the Pacific Basin,” said Kristen L. Corbosiero, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences at the University at Albany.
The rapid intensification has astonished scientists. The NHC described the speed at which Polo gained strength over the past 24 hours as “truly remarkable.” Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science, attributed the storm’s explosive growth to El Niño conditions.
Klotzbach explained that El Niño has created warmer ocean waters and favorable wind patterns in the Pacific, providing the necessary ingredients for hurricanes to strengthen rapidly. “There are all the ingredients that hurricanes need to get really strong really fast,” he said.
Polo is the third Category 5 hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season, following Hurricanes Genevieve and Lowell earlier this year. Category 5, the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson scale, requires sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (253 kph).
In contrast, no hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic this year, marking the longest hurricane-free start to a season on record. Klotzbach noted that this year’s El Niño pattern tends to suppress Atlantic storm formation.
Authorities warn that even without a direct hit, the storm poses significant threats. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued an alert advising citizens to avoid beaches and water activities, citing life-threatening flooding, mudslides, and hazardous ocean conditions including rogue waves and rip currents.
Forecasters predict 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain for Guerrero and Michoacán, with smaller amounts expected in coastal Oaxaca, Colima, and Jalisco. Heavy rainfall raises the risk of flash flooding and mudslides in the region.
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