Tropical Weather

Southwestern Mexico is bracing for heavy rain and mudslides after Polo became a major hurricane in the Pacific. Forecasters also warned Wednesday that another system heading toward Hawaii could cause catastrophic flooding later in the week. Hurricane Polo is expected to skirt Mexico’s Guerrero state, submerging coastal areas with up to 6 inches of rain through Thursday. Guerrero has been repeatedly pummeled by hurricanes in recent years. Tropical Storm Nolo was expected to approach the Big Island as early as Friday. Nolo is projected to drop up to 20 inches of rain, raising the possibility of flooding and mudslides.

Nolo is now the latest hurricane in the Pacific Ocean. The National Hurricane Center says Nolo strengthened into a hurricane Thursday. It’s expected to intensify and make a turn toward Hawaii’s Big Island. Residents there are preparing for the possibility of catastrophic flooding in the coming days. Forecasters warn that the Big Island could see up to 35 inches of rain. The hurricane center says parts of Hawaii will likely start experiencing hurricane conditions by Friday night. Meanwhile, heavy rains from powerful Hurricane Polo could cause flooding and landslides in Mexico.