Category 5 Hurricane Polo is not expected to make landfall, but a possible moisture surge could bring more showers and downpours to the US Southwest by mid-next week, with localized flooding possible, AccuWeather meteorologist Alexander Duffus said.
Polo has maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. The National Hurricane Center forecasts several inches of rain along parts of Mexico’s western coast through Thursday and warns of potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
Duffus said the storm should weaken near Baja as it encounters cooler waters and wind shear. He identified Southern Arizona and Utah as the areas at greatest risk for rain, and noted possible increased swells and rip currents off southwestern California. He said Polo would most likely fall apart west of Baja, with no direct US impacts expected at the time.
