Hurricane Polo Nears Mexican Coast, Expected to Land as Major Storm

Heavy surf and rain have battered southwestern Mexico as Hurricane Polo, a powerful Category 4 storm with winds near 155 mph, drifts northwest offshore the mainland. The U. S. National Hurricane Center says Polo’s outer rainbands are already producing heavy rains along the coast, with tropical‑storm‑force winds extending up to 125 mi (205 km) and hurricane‑force winds up to 40 mi (65 km). AccuWeather projects the storm to make landfall late Sunday night into Monday, likely weakening to Category 2 as it crosses the Baja California peninsula north of Cabo San Lucas. Local authorities have restricted beach access and closed the harbor. Forecasts call for 2–4 inches of rain across Michoacán, Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit, with isolated totals up to 6 inches. The swell is expected to cause life‑threatening surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding. Experts note that if Polo maintains its track, some moisture could be drawn into Texas, a classic El Niño effect, though the Sierra Madre mountains may shred the system.