Hurricane Polo churns off Mexico's Pacific coast as 'one of the
strongest storms ever'
[September 23, 2026]
By MEGAN JANETSKY and DESIREE BROOKS
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Polo grew into one of the most powerful
Pacific cyclones in decades on Tuesday, and it was expected to skirt
Mexico’s southwestern coast as a Category 5 hurricane.
Polo was an “extremely dangerous” storm with maximum sustained winds of
165 mph (265 kph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an
update from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft that was sent into the
cyclone.
It was the third Category 5 hurricane of the Pacific season, following
Genevieve and Lowell earlier this year. Category 5 is the highest level
on the Saffir-Simpson scale, reflecting that a storm has maximum
sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (253 kph).
Polo was centered 210 miles (338 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo,
Mexico, and nearly stationary over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday night.
The hurricane center said Polo was expected to start a slow but sharp
turn northwest during the night and then travel in a generally
west-northwestward direction over the next several days.
‘One of the strongest storms ever’ in the Pacific
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing
that experts had indicated that the hurricane was not likely to touch
land. Still, the NHC said hurricane-force winds are happening up to 40
miles (65 kilometers) from the storm's center and tropical storm-force
winds up to 105 miles (169 kilometers) away.
The hurricane set residents along Mexico's Pacific coast on edge once
again after being walloped by powerful cyclones a number of times in
recent years. Beaches emptied out and dark clouds swirled above choppy
seas, while Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes Tuesday in
a number of areas. Mexico’s navy shut down ports in the states of
Guerrero and Michoacán and warned civilians and fishermen to take care.
Concepción López Villegas was busily preparing her seaside restaurant
for what may come. Strong waves were already lapping at the coastline of
her city Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán. As men and children watched the
stirring waters behind her, López Villegas said she feared powerful
waves would destroy the small business she has worked decades to build.
“We're worried and trying to protect our businesses,” López Villegas
said. “And of course, we're sad because it's our heritage, our legacy
that from one moment to another could be destroyed.”
National Hurricane Center data shows that Polo has reached speeds
comparable to only a few hurricanes to form in the region in recent
decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia, which reached 215 mph (346 kph)
in 2015.
“This is one of the strongest storms ever in the (Pacific) Basin,” said
Kristen L. Corbosiero, professor at the University at Albany’s
Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences.
The NHC warned that tropical storm conditions were expected along the
Pacific coast in Guerrero, Michoacan and Colima states.
Heavy rain could produce flash flooding and mudslides. About 3 to 6
inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain was forecast for Guerrero and
Michoacán states, with smaller amounts possible for coastal portions of
Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco states.
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This photo provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Polo intensifying in the
Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
(NOAA via AP)
Rapid intensification of Polo fueled by El Niño
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued a weather alert, instructing
citizens to avoid water and beaches and to heed warnings from
Mexican authorities.
“Even if the storm does not make direct landfall, heavy rain may
produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Hazardous ocean
conditions—intensified by storms—may result in deadly rip currents
and rogue waves,” the embassy wrote in a statement.
The rapid intensification of the storm has stunned scientists and
authorities alike, with the NHC writing in a report that it was
“truly remarkable” how quickly Polo gained strength in the past 24
hours.
Philip Klotzbach, research scientist in the Department of
Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, attributed the
intensification to the weather phenomenon known as El Niño, which
has fueled crippling droughts in Mexico and Central America and
floods in other parts of the region.
In the Pacific, it has resulted in warmer waters and wind patterns
that act as fodder for hurricanes, he said.
“There are all the ingredients that hurricanes need to get really
strong really fast,” Klotzbach said.
For many on the Pacific coast, Polo brought back harsh memories of
devastating Hurricane Otis in 2023, which tore through nearby port
city Acapulco. The destruction and dozens of people killed by the
storm were attributed, in part, to the rapid intensification of the
hurricane because it gave residents little time to brace themselves,
pull their boats onto shore or evacuate.
Tropical Storm Odalys was also in the Pacific Ocean but far from
land. The cyclone could become a hurricane sometime Tuesday, the
hurricane center said. Odalys had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph
(110 kph).
In the Atlantic Ocean, Fay weakened to a remnant. Maximum sustained
winds were down to 35 mph (56 kph) Tuesday and the system was far
southwest of the Azores.
No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year, and this year has
set a record for the longest start to a season without a hurricane.
The effects of this year’s El Niño crush storms before they get
going.
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Brooks reported from Atlanta.
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