Southwestern Mexico braced for coastal flooding and mudslides Wednesday after Polo, a powerful Pacific cyclone, became a major hurricane. Forecasters also warned that Hawaii could face another onslaught of harsh weather later in the week.
Hurricane Polo, described as an “extremely dangerous” storm, was expected to skirt Mexico’s Guerrero state, submerging coastal areas with 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. At its peak, Polo was a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (290 kph), though it had weakened to a Category 4 by Wednesday morning with top sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph).
"Fluctuations in intensity are expected, but Polo is expected to remain a very powerful major hurricane during the next few days," the NHC stated.
Waves, Flooding, and Mudslides Pose Risks
Polo was not expected to make landfall, meteorologists and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, but tropical storm conditions were anticipated along the Pacific coast in Guerrero, Michoacan, and Colima states through Thursday. Hurricane-force winds could extend up to 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the storm’s center, while areas up to 105 miles (170 kilometers) from the eye would experience tropical storm-force winds.
In Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Concepción López Villegas was working to bolster her seaside restaurant against the expected rain. Strong waves were already hitting the beaches, and López Villegas expressed fear that the storm could destroy the small business she had spent decades building. "We’re worried and trying to protect our businesses," she said. "And of course, we’re sad because it’s our heritage, our legacy that from one moment to another could be destroyed."
National Hurricane Center data indicated that Polo’s winds had reached speeds earlier in the week comparable to only a few hurricanes in the region in recent decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia, which had winds that reached 215 mph (350 kph) in 2015. Polo was named the third Category 5 hurricane of the Pacific season on Tuesday, following Genevieve and Lowell earlier in the year.
El Niño Fueled Rapid Intensification
The rapid intensification of Hurricane Polo surprised scientists and authorities. The NHC noted in a report that it was "truly remarkable" how much strength Polo gained in just 24 hours. Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, attributed the intensification to the weather phenomenon known as El Niño, which has contributed to severe droughts in Mexico and Central America, as well as floods in other parts of the region. In the Pacific, El Niño has resulted in warmer waters and wind patterns that can fuel hurricanes. "There are all the ingredients that hurricanes need to get really strong really fast," Klotzbach said.
Other Pacific Storms and Hawaii's Threat
Meanwhile, Hurricane Odalys churned in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph). Odalys was located about 1,265 miles (2,036 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and was not expected to make landfall, according to the hurricane center. Odalys could increase in strength over the next couple of days but was likely to weaken toward the end of the week.
A tropical depression located about 525 miles (845 kilometers) south-southeast of Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, could become a tropical storm by the end of the day and a hurricane by Thursday. The hurricane center advised the island chain to monitor the system's progress, which was projected to drop 15 to 20 inches (38 to 51 centimeters) of rain on the Big Island, potentially causing "catastrophic life-threatening flooding and mudslides." The center of the cyclone was expected to approach the islands by Friday or Saturday.