Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Hurricane Polo Becomes Pacific’s Strongest Category 5 Storm Overnight
Hurricane Polo is a very powerful storm in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
It quickly became a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest category used for hurricanes.
Its winds are reaching about 265 kilometres per hour.
The storm is moving very slowly, so it can pull a lot of water and bring heavy rain.
It is near Mexico but may not make landfall.
Forecasters are unsure whether it will stop, loop around or move toward northwestern Mexico.
Mexico has closed some ports and suspended classes in several areas.
People near the coast have been warned about rough seas, floods and mudslides.
Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm with 265 kmph winds.
The storm is about 338 kilometres south of Zihuatanejo and may brush Mexico’s southwestern coast.
Polo’s nearly stationary movement could produce heavy rain, flash floods, mudslides and dangerous seas.
Forecast models disagree on whether Polo will stall, loop or move across northwestern Mexico.
The storm’s rapid strengthening occurred as Pacific ocean temperatures reached 3.05 degrees Celsius above average.
- Who
- Hurricane Polo, Mexican authorities and residents in affected coastal regions.
- What
- Polo rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 265 kmph.
- When
- It became a Category 5 storm on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after becoming a hurricane.
- Where
- The storm was 338 kilometres south of Zihuatanejo, near Mexico’s southwestern coast.
- Why
- Very warm Pacific waters, measured at 3.05 degrees Celsius above average, helped fuel its rapid intensification; the article attributes this to El Niño.
Forecast Caution
No Landfall Expected
Potential path toward Mexico
Forecast Caution
Computer models indicate Polo could stall, loop or travel across northwestern Mexico, potentially bringing dangerous conditions to the Baja Peninsula and western Mexico.
No Landfall Expected
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said forecasts indicated that Polo would not touch land.
- Storm category
- Category 5
- Maximum sustained winds
- 265 kmph
- Eyewall wind gusts
- Up to 356 kmph
- Location
- 338 kilometres south of Zihuatanejo
- Pacific ocean temperature anomaly
- 3.05 degrees Celsius above average on September 19
- Expected rainfall
- Three to six inches in Guerrero and Michoacán
- Comparable storm
- Hurricane Patricia reached wind speeds of 346 kmph in 2015