Hurricane Polo off Mexico Drops to Category Four
Hurricane Polo, active off the coast of Mexico, maintains its strong structure due to extremely warm ocean waters despite dropping to a category four.
Hurricane Polo, moving off the coast of Mexico, was downgraded to category four by the US National Hurricane Center; however, it still causes warnings as a very strong storm due to waters warmed by the El Niño effect.
Current Status of the Hurricane
Hurricane Polo, moving as a major storm off the coast of Mexico, was downgraded to category four on Wednesday morning.
Strong Wind and Rain Warnings
According to data recorded by a Hurricane Hunter aircraft that flew into the storm on Tuesday, wind speeds reached approximately 285 kilometers per hour.
This slow-moving storm is causing heavy rainfall and dangerous waves along the southwestern coast of Mexico.
Impact of the El Niño Phenomenon
It was stated that the slow-moving hurricane is fueled by extremely warm waters created by the El Niño climate phenomenon.
Scientists state that the current El Niño phenomenon is experiencing one of the strongest periods on record.
Warnings from Authorities
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the storm is not expected to make direct landfall, but the states of Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan are at risk.
Experts emphasized that the public must be cautious against life-threatening floods and landslides that may occur in steep sloped regions.