Hurricane Polo

During mid-September 2026, an area of investigation was spotted by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) located to the south of Mexico. The disturbance then gradually organized in the following days, becoming designated as Invest 99E as a result. The NHC then increased its formation chances to 90% by September 19. The area of low pressure eventually became a tropical depression on September 20 at 21:00 UTC, gaining the designation Tropical Depression Seventeen-E as satellite observations indicated that the system has increased its organized convective banding, with a defined circulation being visible as well.^[1] The next day, the NHC upgraded the system to a tropical storm and was assigned the name Polo, as the storm entered a more favorable environment, with 31 °C (88 °F) waters off the coast of Mexico and limited wind shear being observed.^[2] It was noted at this time that conditions were extremely favorable for rapid intensification, with the HCCA corrected-consensus aid showing "at least a 99th percentile event for intensification."^[2] Shortly thereafter, at 18:00 UTC on September 21, the NHC upgraded Polo to hurricane status based on data collected via aircraft recon.^[3]

Intensification was thereafter briefly slowed by an eyewall replacement cycle, which completed before the storm strengthened into a strong Category 2 hurricane at 3:00 UTC on September 22.^[4] Explosive intensification then resumed, and Polo became the season's third Category 5 hurricane by 12:00 UTC of the following day, September 22,^[5] tying the 1994 record set by that date.^[6] The winds increased by 110 mph (175 km/h) in a 24-hour period, one of the fastest rapid intensifications on record.^[7] Only a few hours after reaching Category 5 strength, Polo was revealed by Hurricane Hunters to have a pressure of 892 mbar (26.34 inHg) and winds of 180 mph (285 km/h),^[8] making Polo the second-most intense Pacific hurricane by central pressure (after only Hurricane Patricia) and tied with Hurricane Rick as the third-strongest by maximum sustained winds, after Patricia and Linda. It is also tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and Hurricane Melissa for the fourth-most intense hurricane in the Western Hemisphere by central pressure. After peak intensity, Polo began to weaken in response to another eyewall replacement cycle.^[9]

On September 21, a tropical storm watch was issued for the Mexican Pacific coast from Tecpan de Galeana, Guerrero, to Manzanillo, Colima.^[10] The following day, it was upgraded to a tropical storm warning for the stretch from Decpan de Galeana to Punta San Telmo, and the watch was extended west to Playa Perula.^[11] The ports of Acapulco, Lázaro Cárdenas, Puerto Marqués and Zihuatanejo were closed to shipping on September 21. The port of Acapulco also closed to small vessels, including fishing boats, tourist excursions, and yachts.^[12] Classes were suspended in coastal regions of the states of Guerrero and Michoacán.^[13][14] Plan DN-III-E was activated.^[15]

CONAGUA [es] readied 21 emergency care centers, 717 brigade units, and 865 teams for disaster management.^[16] Temporary shelters with capacity for 200 people opened in Zihuatanejo.^[17]

• Weather of 2026
• Tropical cyclones in 2026
• List of Category 5 Pacific hurricanes