Hurricane Polo strengthens to Category 5 as Mexico faces flooding and surf threat
Hurricane Polo has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast, with NOAA recording winds near 180 mph. The storm is expected to skirt the southwestern coast without direct landfall, but heavy rainfall, deadly flooding, mudslides, and life-threatening surf remain major concerns. Record-warm Pacific waters linked to a powerful El Niño are helping fuel Polo's extraordinary strength.
