Hurricane Polo Regains Category 5 Strength, Expected to Make Landfall in Baja California Sur

A beach area is secured by municipal Public Security authorities due to hazardous conditions generated by Hurricane Polo as the storm approaches Baja California Sur, in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, September 25, 2026. Hurricane Polo spins over the Pacific Ocean off Mexico's southwestern coast, September 25, 2026, in this screengrab from video. High waves generated by Hurricane Polo crash along the coast as the storm approaches Baja California Sur, in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, September 25, 2026. Police officers guard access to a beach as Hurricane Polo approaches Baja California Sur, bringing rain, dangerous surf and strong winds to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, September 25, 2026. A beach area is secured by municipal Public Security authorities due to hazardous conditions generated by Hurricane Polo as the storm approaches Baja California Sur. BUENOS AIRES, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Hurricane Polo moved away from Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday after it regained the highest Category 5 strength, before an expected return to make landfall in Baja California Sur on Monday, forecasters said. On Saturday morning, Polo was about 425 miles southwest of the Mexican resort town of Cabo Corrientes, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The storm was moving northwest at 10 mph. AccuWeather, a private forecaster, reported that 24 hours after hitting Baja California, the hurricane was expected to make a second landfall along the coast of mainland northwestern Mexico, bringing potential life-threatening flash flooding to parts of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora and Chihuahua. The hurricane's heavy rain and strong winds along Mexico's Pacific coast forced evacuations, port closures and school cancellations this week. In the resort city of San Jose del Cabo, police officers restricted access to a beach on Friday as the hurricane generated high waves and dangerous surf conditions. Hurricane conditions are possible on Monday afternoon from Punta Eugenia to Santa Fe in Baja California, the NHC said. Polo is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain across parts of Baja California Sur, with maximum amounts of 10 inches, which could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, the NHC said. It could also cause life-threatening surf, rip currents and coastal flooding. (Reporting by Leila Miller; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)