Hurricane Polo in the Pacific Ocean considered 'one of the strongest storms ever'

Hurricane Polo in the Pacific Ocean considered 'one of the strongest storms ever'

Polo not expected to make landfall, but its gathering strength is 'truly remarkable,' storm researcher says

Hurricane Polo has grown into one of the most powerful Pacific cyclones in decades and was expected to skirt Mexico's southwestern coast as a Category 5 storm.

Polo was an "extremely dangerous" storm, with maximum sustained winds of 265 km/h, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tuesday night.

Polo was nearly stationary early Wednesday, about 300 kilometres south of Zihuatanejo in Guerrero state and 540 kilometres southeast of Manzanillo, moving north at four kilometres per hour with maximum sustained winds of 255 km/h, the centre reported.

It was forecast to turn sharply to the northwest during the day and then move in west-northwest over the next several days.

U.S. National Hurricane Center data shows Polo's winds reached speeds comparable to only a few hurricanes in the region in recent decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia, which had winds that reached 346 km/h 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 and environmental sciences.

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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.

Phil 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 fuelled 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.

Warnings of life-threatening flooding

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said experts indicated that the hurricane was not likely to touch land. Still, hurricane-force winds extend up to 65 kilometres from the storm's centre and tropical storm-force winds up to 169 kilometres from the eye, the U.S. centre said.

Heavy rain could produce flash flooding and mudslides. About eight to 15 centimetres of rain was forecast for Guerrero and Michoacán states, with smaller amounts possible for coastal portions of Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco states.

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.

Tropical storm conditions were expected along the Pacific coast in Guerrero, Michoacan and Colima states Wednesday into Thursday.

The hurricane set residents along Mexico's Pacific coast on edge once again after being walloped by a number of powerful cyclones in recent years. Beaches emptied and dark clouds swirled above choppy seas, while Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes Tuesday in a number of areas.

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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."

Meanwhile, Odalys strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane early Wednesday and was about 2,085 kilometres off the southern tip of Baja California in Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h, the hurricane centre said.

Polo is 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 253 kilometres per hour.

In the U.S., California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday declared a state of emergency in order to marshal state resources over the potential impacts of El Niño ahead of the winter season. The order directs stage agencies to prepare roads and critical infrastructure for the risk of floods and landslides in vulnerable communities.

The developments in the Pacific come as a new research report released Wednesday by the University of Chicago-based Climate Impact Lab says El Niño, combined with the record global heat it is driving, could lead to tens of thousands of more heat-related deaths over the next six months.

The heaviest toll, the lab said, is expected in poorer countries, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere.

In contrast to the Pacific, no hurricanes have formed yet this year in the Atlantic Ocean. The effects of El Niño have so far crushed storms before they develop.