Hurricane Polo becomes one of the strongest storms of 2026 off Mexico | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Reading in Spanish
Hurricane Polo has become one of the world’s most powerful storms this year as it threatens to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast with heavy rain and winds.
Polo’s top winds reached 180 miles (290 kilometers) per hour, making it a Category 5 storm on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale.
The intensification ties Polo with supertyphoons Bavi and Sinlaku for the title of strongest Northern Hemisphere storm this year, said Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher and seasonal forecaster at Colorado State University.
Under central pressure, Polo is now the second most powerful system ever recorded in the eastern Pacific, Klotzbach said. Category 5 Patricia, also a compact hurricane, had lower pressure in 2015.
The storm, which is forecast to miss the Mexican coast, could continue to strengthen, the US National Hurricane Center warned.
“The hurricane is expected to remain very intense throughout this week and in fact maintain Category 5 strength for several days,” Richard Pasch, the center’s senior hurricane specialist, wrote in the forecast. “The core of Polo is forecast to be near the coast of southwestern Mexico by the middle of this week, although it is expected to remain offshore.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged coastal residents to remain vigilant in case the storm changes course.
In 2023, Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco as a Category 5 storm, killing at least 52 people and causing $20 billion in damage. Mexico’s west coast is often battered by devastating storms during the eastern Pacific hurricane season, which begins on May 15 and runs through November 30.
Mexico’s meteorological agency said Pola’s broad circulation would bring intense rain of up to 15 centimeters in some cities and strong winds along much of the coast, especially in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacán and Colima. The ports of Lázaro Cárdenas and Manzanillo are located in the latter two states.
The agency also warned of dangerous twenty-meter waves and very rough seas.
The Polo was about 355 miles south-southeast of Manzanillo and stopped moving. A tropical storm warning was issued from Tecpan de Galeana to Punta San Telmo and the watch was extended west to Playa Perula.
Polo is a relatively compact hurricane – its strongest winds extend only 35 miles from its center.
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–With help from Victoria Cavaliere.
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