Hurricane Polo weakens to Category 4 but remains 'very powerful' near Mexico
Pacific Hurricane Polo off Mexico's coast has been downgraded from Category 5 to Category 4, though US forecasters still describe it as very powerful. It is not expected to make landfall but could bring dangerous flooding and mudslides to south-western Mexico.
The US National Hurricane Center has downgraded Pacific Hurricane Polo, one of the strongest storms of the season, from Category 5 to Category 4, while stressing it remains very powerful as it continues toward Mexico's south-western coast.
On Tuesday, a Hurricane Hunter aircraft operated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) flew into the storm and measured sustained winds of around 180 mph (285 km/h), with even stronger gusts. The storm was lowered from Category 5, the highest level on the scale, to Category 4 on Wednesday morning.
Moving slowly northwest, Polo is not forecast to make landfall, but it is expected to bring intense wind and rain to Mexico's south-western coastal areas. Forecasters warn the heavy rainfall could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in regions with steep terrain.
The storm's strength is being fuelled by unusually warm ocean waters linked to the El Niño climate phenomenon. Because Polo is moving slowly, its rain and wind effects could persist longer over the affected areas than a faster-moving system.
