Former Tropical Storm Polo rapidly intensified to a hurricane on Monday as it moved over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Mexico. At 2:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Polo was located at latitude 15.3°N and longitude 103.0°W which put the center about 270 miles (435 km) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico. Polo was moving toward the east at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 977 mb.
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the portion of the coast from Tecpan de Galeana to Punta San Telmo, Mexico.
Former Tropical Storm Polo rapidly intensified to a hurricane on Monday. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the center of Polo’s circulation. A small circular eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) formed at the center of Hurricane Polo. A ring of thunderstorms surrounded the eye and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Polo’s circulation. Storms near the center of Polo generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.
The circulation around Hurricane Polo was small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the center of Polo’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of Hurricane Polo.
Hurricane Polo will move through an environment that will be very favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Polo will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is south of Mexico. The upper level winds are weak in the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Polo is likely to intensify rapidly to a major hurricane during the next 24 hours. Polo could strengthen to a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale later this week.
Hurricane Polo will move around the northern side of a high pressure system that is over the equatorial Eastern Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Polo slowly toward the east during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Polo will move a little closer to the coast of southwest Mexico. A bigger and strong high pressure system is forecast to develop over Mexico on Tuesday. The bigger and strong high pressure system will steer Hurricane Polo toward the northwest during the middle of this week.
Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Odalys continued to spin far to the southwest of Baja California. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Odalys was located at latitude 13.9°N and longitude 129.3°W which put the center about 1415 miles (2275 km) west-southwest of the the southern tip of Baja California. Odalys was moving toward the northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1003 mb.