Hurricane Polo is one of those storms that has meteorologists dropping their jaws. The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to remain a dangerous Category 5 storm for the next several days. As of 3:00 pm CST, the center for Hurricane Polo was located roughly 200 miles to the southwest of Acapulco, Mexico and is virtually stationary. Maximum sustained winds are close to 180 miles per hour with potentially higher gusts. This storm is a beast, and it intensified rapidly. Here’s what to expect next.

The Latest Information On Hurricane Polo

After stalling, Hurricane Polo is expected to move towards the west-northwest over the next few days. Based on the latest model data, the powerful hurricane will approach the southwestern coast of Mexico by the middle of the week but will likely not make landfall. "Polo should remain in a very conducive environment of low vertical wind shear, extremely warm ocean waters, and a very moist low- to mid-level air mass for the next several days," according to the National Hurricane Center. “Even more strengthening is possible," NHC forecasters continued.

Hurricane Polo, like many hurricanes these days, underwent explosive intensification. Just over a day ago, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. They have more than tripled over a relatively short period of time and may not be done. For reference, a typical definition of rapid intensification is an increase of at least 35 miles per hour in less than a day. That definition seems inadequate given what we just witnessed with Hurricane Polo.

Candidly, another thing that is stunning is NHC forecasters calling for the storm to remain at or near Category 5 intensity for the next several days. I had to do a double take when I read the NHC afternoon discussion. “However, the hurricane is expected to remain very intense through this week and, in fact, maintain category 5 strength for a couple of days,” It read. That tells me that the storm is within an optimized sea surface temperature and wind shear environment.

It is just another example of the El Ni ñ o-juiced Pacific hurricane season, while the Atlantic basin remains, as expected, quiet. While days away, we will have to keep a close eye on whether the moisture from Hurricane Polo combines with monsoonal flow to cause extreme rainfall and flooding in Mexico and parts of the U.S. Southwest. And as we watch Polo, two additional areas of interest are also being monitored in the Pacific basin this evening so buckle up.