Hurricane Polo Holds Category 5 Strength off Mexico
Hurricane Polo remains a Category 5 system off Mexico’s Pacific coast, threatening several states with intense rain, flooding, landslides and waves of up to 6 meters.
Authorities warn residents as Hurricane Polo remains a Category 5 system off Mexico’s Pacific coast. Photo: EFE
September 23, 2026 Hour: 1:16 am
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Hurricane Polo remains a Category 5 system off Guerrero and Michoacán, threatening several states with heavy rain, flooding and dangerous seas.
Hurricane Polo remained stationary as a Category 5 system off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Tuesday, with authorities warning of intense rainfall, flooding, swollen rivers and waves reaching up to 6 meters.
RELATED: Hurricane Polo Strengthens to Category 1 Off Mexican Pacific Coast
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) said the hurricane was positioned offshore of Guerrero and Michoacán. Forecast models show Polo moving northeastward, parallel to the coast, with no direct landfall expected for now. Its extensive cloud bands, however, are expected to maintain severe weather conditions across the region.
Heavy to torrential rainfall is forecast in Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca, while Jalisco could see very heavy precipitation. Authorities warned that the rainfall could cause flooding in low-lying areas, rivers and streams to overflow, and water levels to rise sharply.
Text Reads: The #Rain Forecast of very heavy to intense rains continues in regions of #Jalisco, #Colima, #Michoacán, #Guerrero, and #Oaxaca.
The SMN reported a minimum central pressure of 892 millibars and sustained winds of 285 kilometers per hour. SMN coordinator Fabián Vázquez Romaña said on social media that, if the latest measurements from a hurricane-hunting aircraft are confirmed, Polo would have the second-lowest central pressure recorded for a hurricane, behind Hurricane Patricia in 2015.
Polo reached Category 5 strength just 18 hours after developing from a tropical storm, marking an exceptionally rapid intensification.
Mexico’s National Civil Protection Coordination and the U.S. National Hurricane Center established warning and monitoring areas for tropical-storm-force winds from Técpan de Galeana in Guerrero to Playa Pérula in Jalisco.
Civil Protection urged residents of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco, particularly those in coastal areas and locations vulnerable to flooding or landslides, to follow official advisories. Residents were also instructed to evacuate immediately and go to designated temporary shelters if authorities order them to leave.
In coastal municipalities of Guerrero, local authorities suspended administrative activities and halted classes across Acapulco, Costa Chica and Costa Grande. National Guard personnel were conducting public-address announcements in busy areas, including the Zócalo and Papagayo beach, to warn residents about the risks.
Fishing and maritime operators in Acapulco’s traditional area moved their boats onto the beach to protect them from rough seas. Authorities urged people to stay away from beaches, suspend water activities and rely exclusively on official channels for updates.




