Tropical Storm Polo lost strength as it traversed northwestern Mexico on Tuesday following its second landfall and heavy rainfall on the Baja California peninsula. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Rachel gathered momentum offshore, posing a threat of severe weather along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Polo made landfall near Guaymas as a Category 1 hurricane after crossing the peninsula the previous day, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. By 2 p.m. MST, Polo’s maximum sustained winds had decreased to 100 km/h, with further weakening anticipated as it moves inland.
Despite Polo’s diminishing intensity, meteorologists cautioned that its moisture might sustain heavy rainfall in areas beyond Mexico. The National Hurricane Center warned that Polo could bring 10 to 15 centimeters of rain to southern and central Sonora state, with isolated areas possibly experiencing up to 20 centimeters, elevating the risk of dangerous flooding and mudslides.
AccuWeather, a private forecasting service, mentioned that the remnants of Polo could trigger widespread heavy rainfall across the U.S. Southwest and Plains regions. Before its second landfall, Polo had impacted Baja California Sur as a Category 2 hurricane, causing flooding, uprooting palm trees and utility poles, and necessitating road closures by authorities.
Residents like Bertha Lopez from the affected areas took precautions ahead of the storm. Fortunately, despite expectations of greater severity, no fatalities were reported by Baja California Sur Governor VÃctor Manuel Castro. While Polo weakened, Tropical Storm Rachel was gaining strength to the south.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Rachel, located approximately 435 kilometers west-southwest of Lazaro Cardenas port, had intensified with winds reaching 110 km/h. The storm was projected to develop into a hurricane by Tuesday night and potentially escalate into a major hurricane by Thursday, moving parallel to the southwestern coast of Mexico but remaining offshore.