'Extremely dangerous' Hurricane Polo intensifies to rare category 5 storm
Summary
Hurricane Polo, a very strong storm, became a category 5 hurricane near Mexico due to unusually warm ocean waters linked to the El Niño climate pattern. The storm is moving slowly near the southwest coast of Mexico, causing heavy rain and dangerous ocean conditions, but it is not expected to hit the land directly.Key Facts
- Hurricane Polo reached category 5, the highest level on the hurricane scale, with wind speeds near 180 mph (285 km/h).
- NOAA called Polo "extremely dangerous" and noted it intensified rapidly in 24 hours.
- Warm ocean waters from the El Niño weather pattern are helping the storm grow stronger.
- The hurricane is expected to move along the coast of southwest Mexico without making landfall.
- Heavy rains up to 8 inches (20 cm) could cause flooding and mudslides in coastal Mexican states Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan.
- Large ocean waves and dangerous surf will affect the coast for several days.
- Sea surface temperatures linked to El Niño are now the highest on record in parts of the Pacific Ocean.
- El Niño is a natural cycle that warms the Pacific Ocean every few years, affecting global weather.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
