The hurricane reached Category 5 strength with 180 mph winds after rapidly intensifying over unusually favorable eastern Pacific waters.
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — Hurricane Polo became one of the strongest hurricanes recorded in the eastern Pacific this week, reaching Category 5 intensity with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph before weakening Thursday as its center began moving away from Mexico’s southwestern coast.
Polo’s extraordinary rise placed the storm among a small group of the most intense hurricanes observed in the basin. A NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured a minimum central pressure of 892 millibars Tuesday afternoon, when Polo’s sustained winds reached 180 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center described the hurricane as extremely dangerous, while meteorologists pointed to very warm ocean water, abundant moisture and low wind shear as key ingredients behind its explosive strengthening. El Niño has helped create favorable conditions for tropical cyclones across the eastern Pacific this season.
The hurricane weakened to Category 4 strength by Thursday morning but remained exceptionally powerful. At 9 a.m. Central time, Polo had maximum sustained winds of 155 mph and was centered about 195 miles west-southwest of Zihuatanejo and 150 miles south of Manzanillo, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at 10 mph, taking its core farther from Mexico’s mainland coast. Forecasters said fluctuations in intensity remained possible during the next couple of days.
Polo’s peak intensity followed a remarkable period of rapid strengthening. The storm went from a relatively weak tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in roughly a day. Its winds increased by about 110 mph during a 24-hour period, far exceeding the threshold used by meteorologists for rapid intensification. The National Hurricane Center said the storm was embedded in an environment of extremely warm ocean water, very moist air and low vertical wind shear, conditions that allow a hurricane’s thunderstorms to organize around its center with little atmospheric disruption.
The 892-millibar pressure measured Tuesday also put Polo near the top of the eastern Pacific record books. Hurricane Patricia remains the benchmark for the basin. Patricia reached a minimum pressure of 872 millibars and maximum sustained winds of 215 mph in October 2015 before striking Mexico. Polo did not surpass Patricia, but its peak pressure and winds placed it among the most powerful eastern Pacific hurricanes documented in the modern record.
Scientists and forecasters have also pointed to the strong El Niño pattern as part of the broader environment surrounding this year’s unusual Pacific hurricane activity. El Niño involves unusually warm waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and can create atmospheric patterns that favor tropical cyclone development in parts of the Pacific. Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University, told The Associated Press that the pattern has contributed to warmer water and favorable wind conditions in the basin. Polo was the third Category 5 hurricane of the eastern Pacific season, after Genevieve and Lowell.
Even with Polo’s center remaining offshore, the hurricane has posed significant hazards to Mexico. A tropical storm warning remained in effect Thursday from Tecpan de Galeana to Manzanillo, while a tropical storm watch extended west of Manzanillo to Playa Perula. The hurricane center said tropical storm conditions were occurring along parts of the coast Thursday morning and were expected to continue for several hours.
Heavy rainfall remained one of the most serious threats. Forecasters expected an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain across coastal portions of Michoacán, Colima, northern and southern Jalisco and Nayarit, with isolated totals reaching 6 inches. Another 1 to 2 inches was possible along coastal sections of central Jalisco and Guerrero. The hurricane center warned that the rain could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in steep terrain.
Polo was also generating dangerous ocean conditions far beyond its compact core. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 40 miles from the center Thursday morning, while tropical-storm-force winds reached outward as far as 125 miles. Swells were affecting southwestern Mexico and were forecast to spread north along west-central Mexico and toward Baja California Sur beginning Friday and continuing into the weekend. Forecasters warned of life-threatening surf, rip currents and coastal flooding.
The storm’s future track remained important for Baja California Sur. The National Hurricane Center expected Polo to continue generally westward away from mainland Mexico before turning farther northwest later in the forecast period. Increasing wind shear is expected eventually to weaken the hurricane, but forecasters said interests in Baja California Sur should continue monitoring its progress as the track evolves.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.