Hurricane Polo Set to Make Landfall in Mexico With Life-Threatening Conditions

Hurricane Polo is forecast to make two landfalls in northwestern Mexico in the hours ahead. Here is the very latest on this monster storm that has been menacing the Eastern Pacific over the last several days.

Powerful Hurricane Polo Gearing Up for Two Landfalls

Mexico is bracing for two landfalls from Hurricane Polo early this week. While Polo peaked as a Category 5 storm a few days ago, it is now a Category 3 storm as it makes its approach to Mexico. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) shows Polo moving to the northeast at a speed of 10 mph. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. Despite losing its wind intensity since its peak, Polo is still capable of unleashing life-threatening storm surge and flooding rainfall.

Polo's winds hit 180 mph on two separate occasions over the last week. The feature went through the process of rapid intensification, going from a mere tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in only 24 hours.

The storm has been weakening as it moves to the north and enters an area of cooler waters. The recent forecast models predict that Polo will make landfall late Monday in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The good news is that there are no major population centers in the area where Polo is expected to make landfall. However, the villages of Las Barrancas and San Juanico should be on alert for substantial impacts.

Storm surge of 6 to 10 feet is predicted for the zone just south of where Polo's eye roars ashore. Large swells will extend well out from Polo's center, presenting hazards to small watercraft, homes along the coastline, and swimmers.

The high winds associated with Polo began to whip up early Monday across the southern and central portions of the Baja Peninsula. Wind gusts of 100 to 120 mph are on tap for this region, raising the threat of property damage and power outages.

Second Landfall Expected Early Tuesday

Polo will not be done after it ejects off the Baja Peninsula. The storm is then expected to make a second landfall on the Mexican mainland early Tuesday.

Hurricane-force winds are likely for the Ciudad Obregón area at this time. Heavy rain to the tune of 2 to 8 inches is also in the forecast. Several inches of rain per hour could come down in the hardest-hit areas, triggering the threat of flash flooding, mudslides, and debris flows.

Forecasters predict that Polo will weaken and devolve into a tropical depression or rainstorm as it moves across the steep terrain of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Despite the weakening, what is left of the storm will move into Texas by the middle of the week. Polo's remnants will merge with a non-tropical storm that is coming across the Great Basin and Rockies to amplify the rainfall amounts in the Southwest and Texas. This will be something to keep an eye on in the coming days if you live in the Four Corners region or Texas.

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