Hurricane Polo intensifies to highest category in just 24 hours

The system formed as a tropical depression on September 20 and became a tropical storm the following day. By September 22, Polo had reached Category 5 strength, with estimated winds approaching 285 km/h.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center described Polo’s intensification as “truly remarkable.” According to NASA, it became the third-strongest hurricane on record in the eastern Pacific in terms of maximum sustained wind speed.

Gary Partyka, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, explained that conditions were nearly ideal for strengthening: high moisture, unusually warm waters, atmospheric instability and weak wind shear, meaning little change in wind speed and direction with altitude.

Sea surface temperatures along Polo’s path reached 32°C in some areas, two to three degrees above normal for this time of year. Warm water also extended below the surface, providing additional energy for the hurricane.

On September 23, NASA’s Aqua satellite captured Polo southwest of Acapulco, off the coast of Mexico’s Guerrero state. By then, the hurricane had weakened to Category 4, with maximum sustained winds of around 230 km/h. The weakening followed an eyewall replacement cycle, a restructuring of the ring of the most powerful thunderstorms surrounding the storm’s center.

Scientists caution against attributing Polo’s rapid intensification solely to El Niño. Similar events have occurred in the region under other climate conditions. However, El Niño typically contributes to an increase in overall tropical cyclone activity in the eastern Pacific.

According to NASA, Polo is expected to remain over the Pacific until next week, when it may turn northeast and approach the Baja California Peninsula.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that El Niño could peak towards the end of 2026, with its effects on the climate continuing into 2027.