Hurricane Polo reaches maximum strength in Pacific Ocean

Hurricane Polo in the Pacific Ocean has strengthened to Category 5, the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Mexico’s National Water Commission (Conagua) has warned.

The agency said the centre of the storm is currently located 355 km south of the city of Zihuatanejo in Guerrero state and 580 km southeast of Manzanillo in Colima state, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Maximum sustained winds have reached 72 m/s, with gusts of up to 87.5 m/s. The hurricane is moving eastwards at a speed of 9 km/h.

The hurricane’s circulation is increasing the likelihood of heavy rainfall of between 75 and 150 mm in the states of Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca, as well as very heavy rain in Jalisco state.

Waves of 3 to 4 metres are forecast along the coasts of Michoacán and Guerrero.

Authorities are maintaining a tropical-storm wind watch from Tecpan de Galeana in Guerrero state to Manzanillo in Colima state.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov