# Category 5 Hurricane Polo nears Mexico's coast

> One of the Pacific's strongest storms in decades approaches Mexico's southwestern coast with winds of 165 mph.
- Title: Category 5 Hurricane Polo nears Mexico's coast · NPR
- Summary: One of the Pacific's strongest storms in decades approaches Mexico's southwestern coast with winds of 165 mph. Hurricane Polo, a Category 5 storm with 165…
- Keywords: hurricane polo, mexico, category 5 hurricane, pacific ocean, national hurricane center, el niño, weather, news, Category, Hurricane, Polo, nears
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/09/23/nx-s1-5978589/hurricane-polo
- Published: 2026-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: hurricane polo, mexico, category 5 hurricane, pacific ocean, national hurricane center, el niño, weather, news
## Polo intensifies to Category 5
Hurricane Polo has grown into one of the most powerful Pacific cyclones in decades, with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday night.
## Storm positioned near Mexico
Polo was centered 210 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and nearly stationary over the Pacific Ocean. The hurricane center expected it to turn northwest over the next several days.
## Mexico braces for impact
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said experts indicated the hurricane was unlikely to touch land. Still, hurricane-force winds extend 40 miles from the storm's center and tropical storm-force winds reach 105 miles away.
## Residents fear for livelihoods
Concepción López Villegas, who runs a seaside restaurant in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, feared powerful waves would destroy the small business she has worked decades to build.

> We're worried and trying to protect our businesses. And of course, we're sad because it's our heritage, our legacy that from one moment to another could be destroyed.
## Polo ranks among strongest ever
Polo has reached speeds comparable to only a few hurricanes in the region in recent decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia, which reached 215 mph in 2015. Kristen L. Corbosiero, professor at the University at Albany, called it one of the strongest storms ever in the Pacific Basin.

> This is one of the strongest storms ever in the (Pacific) Basin.
## Heavy rain threatens flooding
The National Hurricane Center warned that tropical storm conditions were expected along the Pacific coast in Guerrero, Michoacán and Colima states. About 3 to 6 inches of rain was forecast for Guerrero and Michoacán, with smaller amounts possible for coastal portions of Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco.
## El Niño fueled rapid intensification
The rapid intensification of Polo stunned scientists, with the National Hurricane Center calling it truly remarkable. Philip Klotzbach at Colorado State University attributed the intensification to El Niño, which has created warmer waters and wind patterns that fuel hurricane strength.

> There are all the ingredients that hurricanes need to get really strong really fast.
## Key takeaway

Hurricane Polo, a Category 5 storm with 165 mph winds, is expected to skirt Mexico's southwestern coast, threatening flooding, mudslides and dangerous waves.