Hurricane Polo Expected to Intensify and Impact Mexico

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Polo is forecasted to rapidly intensify in the Pacific Ocean and become a major hurricane later this week, according to forecasters on Monday. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center indicated that Polo could bring heavy rain, rough surf, and tropical-storm-force winds to parts of Mexico late Tuesday into early Wednesday. On Monday, Polo was moving east but is expected to make a "sharp turn" in a west-northwest or northwest direction by late Tuesday, as per an advisory. The hurricane is projected to travel along the coast of western Mexico but remain offshore. As of Monday, Polo was centered approximately 270 miles (435 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico, and 190 miles (306 kilometers) south-southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph). The forecast predicts 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain, with isolated totals near 12 inches (30 centimeters), across coastal areas of the Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacán through Thursday, raising the risk of flooding and mudslides. Additionally, farther west in the Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Odalys is located far from land but is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by midweek. Odalys had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph) on Monday and was situated over 1,400 miles (2,253 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph). In the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Fay is weakening, with top winds reduced to 50 mph (80 kph) and located 430 miles (692 kilometers) southwest of the Azores. No Atlantic hurricanes have formed this year, marking a record for the longest a season has begun without a hurricane, attributed to the effects of this year's El Nino, which suppresses storm development.