Hurricane Polo is forecast to make landfall with the Baja California peninsula late on Monday, 28 September. The storm is expected to downgrade to a Category 2 hurricane by landfall, with sustained winds of 96-110mph.
A hurricane warning has been issued for coastal regions due to the risk of a storm surge from onshore winds. Polo is also predicted to bring intense downpours, with 100-200mm of rain expected, potentially reaching up to 250mm locally. The majority of this rainfall is anticipated within a 12-hour period, raising concerns about life-threatening flooding and mudslides. The storm is then expected to weaken as it moves north-eastwards across Mexico's Sonora region.
Meanwhile, Bangkok city officials declared the capital a disaster zone towards the end of last week. Streets in Thailand’s capital were submerged in up to waist-high flood water, following continuous heavy rainfall and thunderstorms caused by an active cell of low pressure across central Thailand. A weather station near Prachin Buri recorded 213.5mm of rain within a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday evening local time. The low-pressure cell shifted north-westwards on Sunday, bringing an end to the torrential rainfall.
In the central Pacific, Hawaii’s Big Island was threatened by Hurricane Nolo over the weekend. By early Saturday, Nolo was a Category 2 hurricane with sustained windspeeds of 85-90 knots (98-104mph), situated approximately 145 miles (233km) south of the Big Island. Weather stations in the north-east of the island have received over 530mm of rainfall since late Tuesday, 22 September. Nolo has since moved westwards away from Hawaii and is forecast to peak in intensity on Monday, 28 September, with predictions of achieving Category 4 status.