Hurricane Polo reaches Category 5 strength: When it is likely to make landfall and which areas to be worst affected?

Polo jumped from Category 1 to the strongest Category 5 classification on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale in less than a day. The hurricane was packing sustained winds of around 160 mph (260 kph) and could strengthen further, the NHC said

Hurricane Polo intensified rapidly to Category 5 strength off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Tuesday, but the storm is expected to remain offshore rather than make a direct landfall, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Polo strengthens rapidly off Mexico

Polo jumped from Category 1 to the strongest Category 5 classification on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale in less than a day. The hurricane was packing sustained winds of around 160 mph (260 kph) and could strengthen further, the NHC said.

Despite the expectation that the storm will remain at sea, forecasters warned that Polo could still bring dangerous weather conditions to parts of Mexico, including life-threatening flooding and mudslides.

"The core of Polo is expected to be near the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next few days, although forecast to remain offshore," the NHC said.

The hurricane was also expected to continue strengthening through Wednesday, keeping authorities and residents along the Pacific coast on alert.

Guerrero and Michoacan prepare for heavy rain

Mexican authorities have stepped up preparations as Polo approaches the country’s Pacific coastline. Schools and classes were suspended in several Pacific coast states, including Guerrero and Michoacan, where heavy rainfall was expected to arrive first.

In Acapulco, a popular tourist destination in Guerrero, authorities used loudspeakers along beaches and roads on Monday to warn residents and visitors about the possibility of thunderstorms.

Acapulco remains particularly sensitive to major storms after Hurricane Otis caused extensive devastation in the city in 2023.

"We recommend taking preventive measures at home or at work, checking safety conditions in your home and locating your nearest temporary shelter," they urged.

Mexico faces annual cyclone threat

Mexico experiences tropical cyclones every year along both its Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. The country’s cyclone season generally runs from May through November, bringing the risk of strong winds, heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides.

The current season is expected to be particularly active, with weather patterns associated with El Niño playing a role.

El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon that typically develops every two to seven years. During the event, trade winds that normally blow from east to west weaken temporarily, altering ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation and potentially influencing tropical storm activity.

Authorities continue to monitor Polo closely as the hurricane moves offshore, with flooding and landslides remaining the main threats even in the absence of a direct landfall.

About the Author

For about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed companies on BSE and NSE, startups, mutual funds, Union ministries, geopolitics, and untapped human interest stories from around the world, helping our readers to stay informed on the latest developments around the globe. Our Coverage Areas 1. Companies: Comprehensive news and analysis on listed and unlisted companies, corporate announcements, corporate chatter, C-suite, business trends, hiring alerts, layoffs, work-life balance, world's top billionaires and richest and more. 2. Personal finance: Insights into mutual funds, small savings schemes like - PPF, SSY, post office savings scheme, stock to watch, personal loans, credit cards, top bank FDs, real estate, income tax and more. 3. Politics: Comprehensive coverage of general elections, state elections and bypolls, Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Parliament, PMO, PIB, finance ministry, home ministry, among other union ministries and government departments. 4. National News: From metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and e to untapped stories from rural India, we cover human interest, health, education, crime and courts, and law and order, among other areas of public interest. 5. Economy: In-depth analysis of India's macro and micro-economic indicators like- GDP, inflation, forex, fiscal deficit, current account deficit, interest rate cycle, economic recovery, RBI circulars, indirect taxes, GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy imports, exports and everything that impacts Indian economy. 6. Geopolitics: Well-rounded and deeply researched coverage on US News, Oval Office European Union, Ukraine Russia War, middle-east crisis, royal families and global leaders like - Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping and premiers of other leading economies in the world. Meet the Team 1. Gulam Jeelani, Political Affairs Editor 2. Sugam Singhal, Senior Assistant Editor 3. Chanchal, Assistant Editor 4. Sanchari Ghosh, Chief Content Producer 5. Pratik Prashant Mukane, Chief Content Producer 6. Sayantani Biswas, Chief Content Producer 7. Ravi Hari, Deputy Chief Content Producer 8. Garvit Bhirani, Deputy Chief Content Producer 9. Akriti Anand, Senior Content Producer 10. Jocelyn Felix Fernandes, Senior Content Producer 11. Swastika Das Sharma, Content Producer 12. Mausam Jha, Content Producer 13. Riya R Alex, Trainee Content Producer

Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news.

HomeNewsUs NewsHurricane Polo reaches Category 5 strength: When it is likely to make landfall and which areas to be worst affected?