Hurricane Polo strengthens in the Pacific as Mexico prepares for heavy rain

Hurricane Polo has intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm in the Pacific Ocean, and forecasters said it was expected to pass near Mexico's southwestern coast without making landfall. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of up to 265 km/h and described it as extremely dangerous. As of Wednesday, Polo was about 300 kilometres south of Zihuatanejo in Guerrero state and moving slowly north before expected to turn northwest. Meteorologists said its rapid strengthening was unusual, with some experts pointing to El Niño conditions and warmer Pacific waters as factors. Officials in Mexico warned that even without a direct hit, the storm could bring lifethreatening flooding, mudslides, dangerous surf and rip currents. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico advised people to stay away from beaches and follow local warnings, while Mexican authorities suspended classes in some areas and closed ports in Guerrero and Michoacán.