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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Richard Luscombe

Hurricane Polo, rapidly intensifying from strong El Niño patterns, rages off coast of Mexico

satellite image of a hurricane
Hurricane Polo over the Pacific Ocean near Mexico on 21 September 2026. Photograph: Noaa/AFP/Getty Images

A tropical storm off the south-west coast of Mexico has intensified into a category 5 monster in fewer than 24 hours, fueled by stronger than usual El Niño weather patterns in the Pacific Ocean.

Hurricane Polo was sending out maximum sustained winds of 165mph (266km/h) on Tuesday as its center churned about 215 miles (346km) south of the coastal city of Zihuatanejo, in Guerrero state.

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