Hurricane Polo takes aim at Mexico as Nolo threatens Hawaii with flooding
· Yahoo NewsHurricane warnings are in effect for parts of Mexico's Baja California Sur as Hurricane Polo, a Category 3 storm, heads toward the peninsula.
Polo is expected to reach the west coast of Baja California Sur on Monday, cross the peninsula Monday night and move inland over southern Sonora by early Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it should still be near major hurricane strength when it hits Baja.
In Hawaii, Hurricane Nolo has strengthened into a Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds and could reach Category 5 on Monday. Watches and warnings for the main Hawaiian Islands have been lifted, but a hurricane watch is now in effect for part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and large waves are expected to wash over some low-lying islands.
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A new tropical storm, Rachel, is forecast to stay well offshore of southern Mexico but become a hurricane on Tuesday, the NHC said. A tropical storm watch covers part of the southwestern Mexican coast, and swells will bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to the southern Mexican shoreline.
Activity in the Pacific Ocean is partly being fueled by a "supersized" El Niño climate pattern.
The Pacific has been unusually active, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec, with storm activity running above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season.
El Niño affects hurricane severity in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. This year's particularly powerful El Niño conditions, which the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization has said could become the strongest on record, have led to fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic (particularly the Caribbean) and more in the Pacific.
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Here's the location, path and status of each of the storms:
Hurricane Polo
As of 2 a.m. MT Monday:
- Polo was about 125 miles southwest of Cabo San Lázaro, Mexico.
- It had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane.
- It was moving north-northeast at 10 mph.
A hurricane warning is in effect for:
- The west coast of Baja California Sur, from Punta Abreojos to Santa Fe
- The east coast of Baja California Sur, from Loreto to Bahía San Juan Bautista
- Mainland Mexico, from Bahía Kino to Huatabampito
Hurricane watches cover additional stretches of the peninsula and the mainland coast south to Topolobampo.
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Hurricane conditions are expected along the west coast of Baja California Sur by late Monday afternoon, with tropical storm conditions starting in the southern part of the warning area Monday morning. Polo could bring 6 to 12 inches of rain to parts of Baja California Sur and 4 to 6 inches across southern and central Sonora, with up to 8 inches in spots. That could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Forecasters also warned of significant storm surge and destructive waves near the coast.
Hurricane Nolo
As of 11 p.m. HT Sunday:
- Nolo was about 400 miles southwest of Honolulu and 605 miles south-southeast of French Frigate Shoals.
- It had maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane.
- It was moving west-northwest at 12 mph.
A hurricane watch is in effect for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals.
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Nolo could become a Category 5 hurricane on Monday before it begins gradually weakening later in the day, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said. It's forecast to turn northwest on Monday and north on Tuesday, staying well south and southwest of the main Hawaiian Islands as it approaches the monument.
Large waves will start reaching the monument Monday and are likely to inundate some low-lying atolls, especially from French Frigate Shoals to Nihoa. Swells will also bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to south-facing shores of the main islands over the next few days.
Tropical Storm Rachel
As of 3 a.m. CT Monday:
- Rachel was about 245 miles south of Acapulco, Mexico.
- It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
- It was moving west-northwest at 8 mph.
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A tropical storm watch is in effect from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula.
Rachel is expected to stay well offshore of southern Mexico but is set to strengthen into a hurricane on Tuesday, the NHC said.