Mexico's Baja California braces for major Hurricane Polo as Hurricane Nolo still threatens Hawaii

Hurricane Nolo edged further away from the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday as major Hurricane Polo bore down on Mexico's Baja California peninsula with a threat of storm surge, high winds and heavy rains.(Image credit: Gregory Bull) PUERTO SAN CARLOS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Polo bore down on Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Monday with a threat of storm surge, high winds and heavy rains, while Hurricane Nolo threatened parts of Hawaii with torrential rain even as the storm edged further away from the state's islands.Polo was a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) Sunday evening, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm is expected to lash the peninsula with heavy rainfall overnight and could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides.Nolo was well southwest of Hawaii and moving away from the Big Island as the weekend drew to a close, but a high-wind warning, wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening. Nolo’s maximum sustained winds increased to near 105 mph (165 kph).In Puerto San Carlos, a fishing town of about 5,700 people on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, residents boarded up homes Sunday as workers hauled dirt and rubble to shore up the embankments protecting the town. Authorities said 90% of the community was susceptible to flooding.Residents feared high tides and pounding waves could breach the barriers and send seawater through the community.

Some families planned to evacuate to shelters in Ciudad Constitucion, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) away.“Civil Protection told those of us here in San Carlos to evacuate because this is a high-risk area. With the current tides, the expected waves and the wind, the earthen barriers they built (to prevent flooding) could give way. They said they wouldn’t hold,” Rocío Sánchez, a fisherman, said.Forecasters said Polo would hit the Mexican mainland after crossing Baja California and could bring heavy rain and flooding to parts of the U.S.

Polo was moving to the north at 12 mph (19 kph) about 270 miles (435 kilometers) west of Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula’s southern tip, the hurricane center said.It's been a busy seasons for Pacific stormsThe 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. He said that pattern is consistent with El Niño years, when the Pacific often sees more tropical storms and hurricanes.With Polo approaching Mexico, the Mexican n… Hurricane Nolo is moving away from the Hawaiian Islands amid a lingering threat of heavy rain and flash flooding