Updated

Hurricane Polo, fueled by an unusually strong El Niño, rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in under 24 hours off south-west Mexico. By Thursday evening (Sep 24) the storm was centered about 195 miles southwest of Manzanillo with sustained winds near 150-165 mph and a minimum pressure of 935 mb, and forecasters expect it to regain Category 5 strength on Friday. GDACS issued an orange alert estimating roughly 625,000 people in Mexico could be affected by winds of Category 1 strength or higher. The storm is moving west, offshore of Zihuatanejo and other coastal cities, and while a direct landfall is considered unlikely, coastal Mexico faces dangerous surf, rip currents and heavy rain. The National Hurricane Center has issued multiple advisories tracking the storm's eye, wind field and probable path as it churns over open water.