Updated

Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm with sustained winds around 160-165 mph (140 kt) and a minimum central pressure of 923 mb, churning slowly offshore of southwestern Mexico near Guerrero state as of late September 23-24. Though unlikely to make a direct landfall, Polo was moving northwest at only about 5-6 mph roughly 215 miles south of Zihuatanejo, prolonging its threat. Forecasters warned of heavy, potentially record-breaking rainfall along the Guerrero coast, with the storm's slow motion raising flooding concerns. The hurricane's explosive strengthening—from tropical storm to Category 5 in under 24 hours—was linked by meteorologists to unusually strong El Niño conditions fueling the eastern Pacific season. GDACS issued a green notification for the cyclone affecting Mexico.