Hurricane Polo is a Category 4 monster, a 'rare show of force'

Key Points:

• Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm in just 42 hours, reaching peak winds of 180 mph and becoming the second-strongest hurricane recorded in the eastern Pacific Ocean with a central pressure of 892 millibars.
• As of September 24, Polo was a Category 4 hurricane located about 195 miles west-southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, moving west-northwest and expected to remain offshore while bringing tropical storm conditions, flooding rain, and dangerous surf to southwestern Mexican states.
• The storm is forecast to drop 4 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated totals up to 8 inches in Guerrero, raising risks of flooding and mudslides, while also generating life-threatening surf and rip currents along the west-central coast of Mexico and Baja California Sur.
• Polo is expected to weaken as it moves inland, potentially delivering heavy rain and moisture into northwestern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States, including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, where recent monsoonal rains have already saturated the region and increased flood risk.
• Polo should not be confused with Tropical Storm Nolo, which is developing separately in the central north Pacific and poses a threat to Hawaii with extreme rainfall.