Polo Weakens After Second Landfall in Mexico as Rachel Strengthens Offshore
Tropical Storm Polo weakened over northwestern Mexico on Tuesday after making a second landfall near the port city of Guaymas in Sonora state. A day earlier, it had crossed the Baja California peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane. Polo reached the mainland as a Category 1 hurricane, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
By 2 p.m. MST, Polo’s maximum sustained winds had fallen to 100 kilometres per hour. Forecasters expected it to weaken rapidly as it moved farther inland, but warned that heavy rain could continue after its winds subsided. The hurricane center forecast 10 to 15 centimetres of rain across southern and central Sonora, with isolated totals of up to 20 centimetres. It said the rainfall could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
In Baja California Sur, Polo flooded road crossings, toppled palm trees and utility poles, and prompted police to block inundated roads. Resident Bertha Lopez said her household had prepared for the storm and that its effects were less severe than she had expected. Governor Víctor Manuel Castro said no deaths had been reported.
Polo’s rainfall could extend beyond Mexico. Private forecaster AccuWeather said moisture from the storm’s remnants might contribute to a broader period of heavy rain across the southwestern United States and the Plains. That risk could persist even as Polo weakens over land.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Rachel was strengthening offshore to the south. The hurricane center placed it about 435 kilometres west-southwest of the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, with sustained winds of 110 kilometres per hour. Forecasters expected Rachel to become a hurricane Tuesday night and a major hurricane by Thursday. Its projected path ran parallel to Mexico’s southwestern coast while remaining offshore. The two storms presented separate weather concerns: immediate flooding risks from Polo in Sonora, and the possibility of further hazardous conditions along the Pacific coast as Rachel intensified.