Hurricane Polo Downgraded to Category 4 From Category 5
Hurricane Polo weakened to a Category 4 storm today. It had earlier been listed as a Category 5 storm.
The National Hurricane Center gave the new update at 10:30 UTC. Winds dropped from 165 miles per hour to 155 miles per hour.
Polo is still one of the strongest Pacific storms in decades. An earlier report at 12:00 a.m.
CST called it extremely dangerous. That report predicted Polo would pass along Mexico's southwestern coast.
It was forecast to stay offshore as a Category 5 storm. Polo was about 200 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico.
Southwestern Mexico had tropical storm warnings and watches in place. Rain of 3 to 6 inches could cause flooding.
Mudslides, dangerous surf and rip currents were also possible. The Pacific hurricane season got busier this week. This added to concerns about Polo and other storms.
Key Terms 3
- National Hurricane Center US agency that tracks and predicts hurricanes.
- Zihuatanejo A coastal city in Mexico.
- UTC/CST Time zones used in weather reports.