Polo weakens after becoming major Pacific hurricane off Mexico

Hurricane Polo weakened Wednesday afternoon after reaching Category 5 strength off southwestern Mexico, where forecasters warned of flooding, mudslides, heavy rain and strong winds, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The storm was not expected to make landfall, meteorologists and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, but authorities called for evacuations in some areas and opened shelters. The report did not cite any direct impact on Orange County.

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that Polo peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph before weakening by Wednesday afternoon to a Category 4 storm with sustained winds up to 145 mph.

The storm was about 150 miles south-southwest of Zihuatanejo and 275 miles south-southeast of Manzanillo on Wednesday afternoon, according to the report. Forecasters expected 4 to 6 inches of rain in coastal Guerrero through Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said hurricane-force winds could extend 40 miles from Polo’s center, while tropical storm-force winds could be felt up to 105 miles from the eye. “Fluctuations in intensity are expected, but Polo is expected to remain a very powerful major hurricane during the next few days,” the hurricane center said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Concepción López Villegas, a seaside restaurant owner in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, told the outlet, “We're worried and trying to protect our businesses,” adding, “And of course, we're sad because it's our heritage, our legacy that from one moment to another could be destroyed.”

Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, linked Polo’s rapid intensification to El Niño-driven ocean and wind conditions. “There are all the ingredients that hurricanes need to get really strong really fast,” Klotzbach said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

ABC7 Los Angeles also reported that forecasters were watching a tropical depression about 525 miles south-southeast of Honolulu that could become a tropical storm by the end of the day and a hurricane by Thursday.

Hurricane Odalys also strengthened Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, but ABC7 Los Angeles reported it was not at risk of making landfall.