A Category 2 hurricane named Polo has come ashore in Baja California, Mexico, bringing winds powerful enough to be deadly. It made landfall just south of Las Barrancas, a spot roughly 80 miles north of Cabo San Lazaro and 70 miles south of Mulege, packing sustained winds of 110 mph.
The hurricane made landfall while moving northeast at 13 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The maximum sustained winds were 110 mph, and forecasters described the winds as “life-threatening.”.
Forecasters have warned of additional flash flooding across the region following the storm’s landfall, with more heavy rain and flooding expected to hit parts of the U.S. Southwest later in the week.
Polo’s path and the warning ahead
On Monday, Polo reached Category 3 strength, carrying sustained winds of 115 mph. The system was projected to bring rainfall totals of 6 to 12 inches across portions of Baja California Sur.
Authorities on the Baja California Peninsula reported that shelters were prepared, that travel would be stopped in the area, and that ports across the region would close. The Mexican navy said its personnel were ready across the northern Pacific coast and that three vessels had been deployed to deliver aid to coastal communities cut off by Polo.
Monday evening, the state government of Sonora in northern Mexico declared that all “nonessential” operations would be halted, covering school, sports and non-essential work across the capital city and over a dozen additional municipalities.
Rachel and Nolo complicate the map
On Tuesday morning, Tropical Storm Rachel was tracking roughly parallel to the Mexican coast, situated roughly 300 miles west-southwest of Acapulco and approximately 315 miles south of Manzanillo, while carrying maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Its motion continued west-northwest at a speed of 12 mph.
On Monday night, Hurricane Nolo remained a major hurricane even as it moved farther from Hawaii. That day, it sat roughly 425 miles west-southwest of Honolulu and approximately 330 miles south-southeast of French Frigate Shoals, carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 mph while traveling north-northwest at 15 mph.
The Big Island’s southern and southeastern regions were doused by heavy rain over the weekend. According to a Facebook post from the U.S. National Guard, Hawaii National Guard personnel pulled 19 people from floodwaters during the rescue operation.
A marine conservation area known as Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is facing an approaching hurricane, with hazardous conditions potentially beginning on Tuesday.
Why this season is above average
Bob Oravec, the lead forecaster at the National Weather Service, says Pacific storm activity has been above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season. That pattern matches what happens in El Niño years, when the Pacific tends to see more tropical storms and hurricanes.
A tropical system’s influence was anticipated to reach across the U.S. Southwest, where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Texas were all in line to receive inches of rain. Dry canyons and open, barren areas that lack much vegetation are built for quick flooding, and the tropical air moving through only raises the danger, according to Andrew Mangham, a senior service hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Mangham offered a blunt assessment of how quickly the situation is developing: “We’re getting caught up here in a very, very short time,” he said. “And that’s not really what we want. We want nice rains, you know, all summer long.”
What happens next
| Event | Location |
|---|---|
| Landfall | Just south of Las Barrancas, Baja California |
| Rainfall expected | 6 to 12 inches across parts of Baja California Sur |
| Flooding danger | Across Baja California Peninsula |
| U.S. impacts | Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas |
| Shelter | Ready in local communities |
Later in the week, rain is on its way to the U.S. Southwest, where arid canyons and rocky expanses with little vegetation already make flash flooding likely. The tropical weather now adds even more danger to the region’s already vulnerable terrain.
Tuesday marks the start of a danger window for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, according to the hurricane center, which says the storm could bring hazardous conditions to the region.
Three named storms are currently on the move, with one having just reached land. A region that has endured a harsh season is now confronting its most dangerous stretch. The next several days will determine whether the warnings prove accurate or miss the mark.
“We’re getting caught up here in a very, very short time.”
Source material: “Hurricane Polo makes landfall in Baja California, 'life-threatening' winds forecast,” ABC News.
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