Hurricane Polo Develops 'Death Band,' Freaking Out Weather Watchers as It Nears Baja
The Category 4 storm's unusual appearance has sparked alarm online, though it is expected to move away from Mexico and approach the Baja California Peninsula.
Monster Hurricane Polo has developed a peculiar "death band" on its western side, a phenomenon that has weather watchers expressing concern as the Category 4 storm churns across the Pacific toward the Baja California Peninsula.
Videos circulating online depict the unusual bulged band of pressure on the storm, prompting a flurry of alarmed reactions from meteorologists and storm chasers. One south Florida storm chaser noted that "normally these bands are very dangerous to those in its path," but added that Polo's current position over water is helping to dissipate some of its energy.
Another observer described Polo as a "weird, weird looking storm," calling it one of the "strangest super typhoon-equivalent storms" they had ever witnessed. The unusual structure led to speculation about the storm potentially "parasitically" feeding off its own energy.
The storm's appearance comes as it remains one of the most powerful hurricanes observed in the eastern Pacific. Earlier in the week, Polo rapidly intensified, increasing from 85 mph to 180 mph in just 22 hours. As of Thursday, it maintained maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, classifying it as a Category 4 storm.
The National Hurricane Center anticipates Polo will continue to be an extremely powerful hurricane for several more days. Currently, the storm is located approximately 195 miles southwest of Zihuatanejo and 150 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico, moving west-northwest at about 10 mph. It is projected to move away from Mexico and approach the Baja California Peninsula early next week.
While a direct hurricane landfall in California is not anticipated, the storm is expected to generate significant swells and dangerous surf along the coast. Southern California coastal cities like Long Beach and Newport Beach are preparing for potential impacts by constructing large sand barriers to mitigate the threat of waves and possible coastal flooding, especially as elevated surf coincides with high tides on Monday and Tuesday.