Hurricane Polo drifts off Mexico as a Category 4 storm

By JUDSON JONES

Hurricane Polo exploded from a weak tropical storm into a Category 5 dynamo in less than a day, putting western Mexico on alert. Although it dropped Wednesday to the upper reaches of Category 4, forecasters said they expect it to remain at or near Category 5 strength for the next few days.

On Wednesday morning, Polo turned northwest and was expected to generally move that way over the next couple of days along the coast as it remains offshore.

What you should know:

— Hurricane Polo is one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. Hurricane experts measure a storm’s strength in part by its wind speeds, which determine its category. Polo’s reached 180 mph on Tuesday afternoon; more powerful than most other storms, but still below the 215 mph record set by Hurricane Patricia in 2015.

— Though the storm’s center is expected to remain offshore, Mexican authorities have issued tropical storm warnings for portions of southwestern Mexico as the outer rain bands could bring heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts.

— Large waves generated by Polo were also expected to reach parts of southwestern Mexico’s coast over the next few days. Forecasters warned that these waves could create life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents. The swell could make its way to Southern California by late this weekend, with the possibility of large surf and dangerous rip currents at beaches.