Hurricane Polo poised to strike Baja California Sur with Category 3 force

According to one outlet Hurricane Center, Hurricane Polo is on a rapid approach to the Baja California Peninsula, with its eye positioned about 75 miles north of Cabo San Lazaro and 95 miles south of Santa Rosalia. The cyclone carries maximum sustained winds of 115 mph and is traveling northeast at 13 mph, prompting hurricane warnings along the west coast from Punta Abreojos to Santa Fe and the east coast from Loreto to Bahia San Juan Bautista, as well as extensive warnings for mainland Mexico.

Watches and tropical-storm warnings cover additional stretches of the peninsula and the coast from Bahia Kino to Topolobampo. Forecasts indicate Polo will make landfall on Baja California Sur within the next few hours, then move inland over southern Sonora on Tuesday morning, delivering 6-12 inches of rain that could cause severe flooding and mudslides in mountainous areas. A second landfall is expected early Tuesday on the Mexican mainland while the storm still holds major hurricane strength, after which it should weaken quickly as it moves inland.