Hurricane Polo lashes Mexico as Nolo strengthens near Hawaii

Two powerful storms are affecting communities on opposite sides of the Pacific this week. Hurricane Polo has been striking Mexico’s southwestern coast while Nolo strengthened into a hurricane as it moved toward Hawaii, the US National Hurricane Center reported. Forecasters said Nolo is likely to intensify further as it turns toward the Big Island.

Officials in Hawaii warned of heavy rainfall and flash flooding, with 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 cm) of rain possible on parts of the Big Island through Saturday and even higher amounts locally. The National Weather Service noted the heaviest precipitation is expected over the southeastern sector of the Big Island—the same area that sustained saturated ground from Hurricane Lala in August—raising concerns about additional landslides and isolated communities.

Hawaii’s governor issued an emergency proclamation and mobilized more than 230 members of the state National Guard. Schools were closed for the remainder of the week, and utility crews who had been restoring power on Kauai after Hurricane Lowell were reassigned to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island to prepare for Nolo. A National Weather Service warning coordinator said the island chain had already endured major flooding, an earthquake and two hurricanes since mid-August and that three hurricane watches in a single year was unprecedented in his 20 years of experience.

On the other side of the ocean, Hurricane Polo has oscillated between Category 4 and 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale as it tracked along Mexico’s coast, with the NHC indicating it could return to Category 5. Coastal communities reported storm surge and wave damage: in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, seawater swept into homes and left debris in streets, and residents described sizable waves that damaged businesses. Mexican authorities deployed 15,000 security personnel, suspended schools, opened shelters and evacuated people from high-risk zones, particularly in Guerrero and Michoacán, where small ports, tourist towns and fishing villages are concentrated.

Forecasters noted the string of storms is occurring amid an El Niño event, a climate pattern that warms parts of the Pacific Ocean and is associated with increased tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific basin. Other distant systems include Hurricane Odalys in the Pacific and Tropical Storm Fay in the North Atlantic, while Tropical Storm Gonzalo was forecast to approach or pass near Cape Verde off West Africa.