Hurricane Polo stays powerful off Mexico's coast as more storms develop
Mexico closes Pacific ports as Hurricane Polo tracks offshore
Hurricane Polo, now the second-most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean, remains a strong Category 4 storm. It is expected to make a sharp northwest turn later Tuesday, followed by west-northwestward movement through the week and into the weekend.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), Polo’s core is forecast to remain offshore, but will pass near the coast of southwestern Mexico over the next day or two. The storm remains about 270 kilometres south of the tourist town of Zihuatanejo, and 515 km southeast of Manzanillo.
El Paso is experiencing heavy rainfall as tropical moisture from Hurricane Polo fuels thunderstorms and intense downpours across the region.
The National Weather Service in El Paso issued a Flash Flood Warning for El Paso County early Wednesday after radar detected storms producing significant rainfall.
Hurricane Polo is forecast to bring 75-150 mm of rain, with isolated areas possibly reaching 200 mm, along coastal regions of Guerrero and Michoacán through Thursday. These rainfall amounts may lead to life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in steep terrain.
Rainfall totals of 50-100 mm are also expected across coastal areas of Oaxaca, Colima, and Jalisco during the same period. Residents in affected areas should stay updated on weather alerts and take necessary precautions.
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Polo was the second-fastest on record for rapid intensification, rising by 177 km/h in 24 hours. It is only second to Patricia, which saw a 185-km/h increase in 24 hours.
Hurricane Odalys, which strengthened from a tropical storm on Wednesday, remains far from land and poses no immediate threat. The system is located over 2,000 km southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.
Forecasters expect Odalys to move east to east-northeast over the next couple of days. A gradual turn toward the northeast, followed by a shift northward, is anticipated later this week.
No hurricanes reported in the Atlantic by Sept. 21, a first since 1914
Meanwhile, with just more than two months remaining in the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on Nov. 30, no hurricanes have been recorded so far. This unprecedented delay has already set a record for the latest start to the season, should a hurricane eventually form.
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Multiple factors may be contributing to the lack of hurricane development. One key influence is the ongoing “super” El Niño. El Niño patterns are known to increase wind shear across the Atlantic basin, hindering hurricane formation by disrupting the structure of developing storms.
Since 1851, only two years—1907 and 1914—have passed without any hurricanes forming in the Atlantic basin.
With the climatological peak of hurricane season now behind us, the continued lack of activity raises the possibility that 2026 could become the first hurricane-free Atlantic season in the satellite era if no hurricanes develop in the coming weeks.