Category 5 Hurricane Polo is 'one of the strongest storms ever'

MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Polo has grown into one of the most powerful Pacific cyclones in decades, and it was expected to skirt Mexico's southwestern coast as a Category 5 storm. Polo was an "extremely dangerous" storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (265 kph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Tuesday night. Polo was centered 210 miles (338 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and nearly stationary over the Pacific Ocean. The hurricane center said Polo was expected to start a slow but sharp turn northwest during the night and then travel in a generally west-northwestward direction over the next several days.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open Nevada Public Radio

Scoop News DeskNevada · Published Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 6:13 AM UTCUpdated Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 8:43 AM UTC

Scoop News reporting summary

The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.

Beaches emptied out and dark clouds swirled above choppy seas, while Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes Tuesday in a number of areas. Hazardous ocean conditions—intensified by storms—may result in deadly rip currents and rogue waves," the embassy wrote in a statement. 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.

Breaking news moves fast. Follow @Will466513 for breaking alerts and meaningful updates as this story develops. Follow on X →