Hurricane Polo makes Baja landfall, headed for a 2nd in Mexico

Remnants of Polo are expected to merge with a storm system in the U.S.

September 29, 2026, 11:44 AM

Hurricane Polo made landfall in Baja California overnight and is expected to make a second landfall on the mainland of Mexico on Tuesday.

Polo slammed the Baja California Peninsula near Las Barrancas as a Category 2 hurricane, packing dangerous winds of 96 to 110 mph.

After making landfall around 11 p.m. local time, Polo was downgraded to a Category 1 storm as it trekked across the Baja and took aim at the Sonora region of mainland Mexico.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Polo formed into a Pacific hurricane on Sept. 20, one of three hurricanes to develop in the Pacific at the same time.

Near-record levels of moisture are coming in from the Pacific, aided by strong flow from Polo.

The hurricane's remnants will eventually merge later Tuesday with an existing storm system and supercharge moisture across a large swath of the United States.

More than 30 million people on Tuesday across a dozen states from California and Texas to Iowa are under a flood watch.

Overnight, multiple flash flood warnings were in effect across Utah and Arizona.

Zion National Park saw near-record flooding along the Virgin River and Heaps Canyon as a flash flood wave moved through on Monday night.

Water rescues were made on Monday evening in Bullhead City, Arizona, after a vehicle got trapped in floodwaters.