Hurricane Polo strengthens to Category 5 off Mexico’s Pacific coast

Hurricane Polo has intensified to Category 5 off the southwestern coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean, with sustained winds reaching around 257 kilometers per hour.

The US National Hurricane Center said in a statement that the hurricane is currently moving at about 10 kilometers per hour. The storm is expected to shift northwest, then west and northwest again, with its center remaining over water and not making direct landfall.

The center issued a tropical storm warning for parts of the Mexican coast between Manzanillo in Colima state and Tekpan de Galina in Guerrero state. Heavy rainfall is forecast for coastal areas in Guerrero and Michoacán through Thursday, which could lead to flooding and landslides.