Hurricane Polo could reach Category 5 near Mexico — Mexico News Daily
Hurricane Polo, which formed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico's Guerrero state, could strengthen to Category 5 by Wednesday near the coast of Michoacán state. This was reported by Mexico News Daily, citing the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Current strength of the hurricane
At 12:00 on Monday, Polo was a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds reaching 129 km/h. At 9:00, the center of the cyclone was located about 410 km south-southeast of Manzanillo and 322 km southwest of Zihuatanejo.
Mexico's National Meteorological Service forecast heavy rainfall on the country's Pacific coast. It could cause rising water levels in rivers and streams, flooding and landslides.
Warnings for coastal states
The heaviest rainfall — from 75 to 150 mm — is expected in Oaxaca and Guerrero. Michoacán is forecast to receive 50 to 75 mm of rainfall, while the coasts of Jalisco and Colima states are expected to receive 25 to 50 mm.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Winds of 10–20 km/h, with gusts of up to 30–50 km/h, are expected along the coasts of Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca. Wave heights off Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Jalisco and Colima could range from one to three meters.
Mexico's Meteorological Service and the U.S. National Hurricane Center established a watch zone from Tecpan de Galeana in Guerrero to Punta San Telmo in Michoacán. Forecasters warned that Polo's path could be unpredictable: the cyclone is expected to turn and move parallel to the coasts of Colima, Michoacán and Guerrero. The Civil Protection Service urged residents of several states to follow official warnings and recommendations.
Another cyclone in the Pacific Ocean
Tropical Storm Odalis is also located in the Pacific Ocean west of Mexico. On Monday, it was more than 2,000 km west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. According to the forecast, Odalis could become a hurricane by the middle of the week.
