Powerful Hurricane Polo drenches Mexico's coast from offshore as Nolo nears Hawaii

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Powerful Hurricane Polo sent bands of heavy rain across Mexico's Pacific coast Thursday as a growing Tropical Storm Nolo approached Hawaii with the potential for catastrophic flooding.Polo has oscillated between Category 4 and 5 strength — both major-hurricane strength— and on Thursday morning dipped back to Category 4. It was slated to skirt Mexico's coast over the next few days. Rain and strong winds had already started to pummel the coast, with waves crashing onto the normally pristine beaches.While the eye and the strongest winds were expected to remain at sea, the heavy rains could cause life-threatening flooding and landslides, according to the U.S.

National Hurricane Center in Miami.Farther west in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Nolo was churning about 285 miles (460 kilometers) south of South Point, Hawaii. It was forecast to become a hurricane by Thursday night and was expected to approach the Big Island as early as Friday. A hurricane watch was issued for Hawaii County, which covers the entire island.Gov.

Josh Green’s office said public schools and state and county offices on the Big Island will close Thursday and Friday, while Maui County will shutter them on Friday ahead of the threat of heavy rain, winds and flooding. Forecasters said the storm could drop up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain on Maui and up to 35 inches (89 centimeters) on the Big Island.The series of hurricanes come as the weather phenomenon El Nino prompts major environmental shifts across the world, fueling drought in some areas and flooding in others. As El Nino traditionally dampens the Atlantic hurricane season, it tends to rev up tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific, with moist air and little wind shear.Polo could bring flooding and mudslides to Mexico’s Pacific coastMexican authorities were busy preparing shelters and clearing people from beaches, while coastal residents stacked sandbags in front of their businesses in fear that they might get swept away.Much of the fear from locals came from hurricanes in past years that devastated cities along the Pacific coast, namely Hurricane Otis in 2023 which unexpectedly plunged Acapulco into turmoil for weeks.“People here are scared because we already went through this with Otis.

So many people said it wouldn’t happen and then it did. After that, you’re left on edge,” said Acapulco bartender Gonzalo Ramír… Powerful Hurricane Polo is sending bands of heavy rain across Mexico's Pacific coast as Tropical Storm Nolo approaches Hawaii with the potential for catastrophic flooding.