Tropical Storm Polo is rapidly gaining strength off the coast of Mexico. By the middle of the week, it could develop into a powerful hurricane and bring dangerous weather to the coast.

Tropical Storm Polo is currently moving southwards along the Mexican Pacific coast. It is set to encounter very favourable conditions over the coming days and is likely to intensify rapidly. A severe hurricane is expected by the middle of the week.

As things stand, the centre of the storm is likely to remain over the sea. Nevertheless, hurricane-force winds, a storm surge, and enormous amounts of rain are possible along the Mexican coast. By Thursday, around 300 mm of rain could fall in some areas.

This significantly increases the risk of flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous regions. And the hurricane season in the eastern Pacific remains very active: further west, the next tropical storm is already building up.