Category 5 Hurricane Polo circles back toward Baja California Sur, landfall expected Monday

Hurricane Polo, now at Category 5 intensity with 160 mph sustained winds, drifted away from Mexico’s Pacific shoreline on Saturday, positioned roughly 425 miles southwest of the resort town of Cabo Corrientes. The storm is moving northwest at about 10 mph and is expected to return for a landfall in Baja California Sur on Monday, with a potential second impact on the mainland coast of north-western Mexico. The system is projected to deliver 4 to 8 inches of rain, up to 10 inches in isolated spots, raising the risk of life-threatening flooding, mudslides, surf, rip currents and coastal inundation across Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora and Chihuahua.

In response, officials have ordered evacuations, shut down ports, cancelled schools, and police restricted beach access in San Jose del Cabo because of high waves. The National Hurricane Center warned that hurricane conditions could affect areas from Punta Eugenia to Santa Fe on Monday afternoon.