Major update: Polo's outer rainbands reach Mexico as hurricane eases to Category 4

Reuters reported at 10:20 UTC on September 23, citing the U.S. National Hurricane Center, that Polo's outer rainbands had reached Mexico's Pacific coast and conditions were expected to worsen. The core is forecast to remain offshore but stay near the southwestern coast over the next day or two.

After previously reaching Category 5, Polo eased to Category 4 with maximum sustained winds near 250 km/h. The NHC said fluctuations were possible but the storm was expected to remain a very powerful major hurricane for several days; the downgrade does not mean the danger has passed.

The NHC forecast roughly 80 to 200 millimetres of rain in Guerrero and Michoacan through Thursday, with life-threatening flooding and mudslides possible. Coastal areas of Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco may also be affected.

Mexico's Security Ministry said command posts were active in Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Guerrero to coordinate risk assessments, condition checks, temporary-shelter preparation and preventive evacuations if required. Residents should follow current local alerts and evacuation instructions.

The page image is an earlier NHC forecast cone issued September 21 and is retained only to show the storm's general location; it does not represent the latest September 23 intensity or warning area. Readers should use current NHC, Mexican weather-service and local civil-protection alerts.

Verification status: corrected/updated. News value: S-level breaking news. Origin region: Latin America (Mexico). Primary section: Environment / disaster. Related regions: Latin America and World. Latest substantive update: September 23, 2026, 13:40 UTC. Track, intensity and impacts may still change.