A monster hurricane exploded to Category 5 strength off Mexico’s Pacific coast Tuesday, stunning forecasters with its extraordinary rate of intensification and raising questions about whether its moisture could eventually reach the American Southwest.
Hurricane Polo reached maximum sustained winds of 160 mph Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center, putting the compact but extremely powerful cyclone at the top of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The storm was located roughly 220 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, when the NHC confirmed it had reached Category 5 intensity.
