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In less than 24 hours, Hurricane Polo intensified into a Category 5 storm this Tuesday. According to the latest reports, it has exceeded the 250 km/h sustained wind threshold of that category on the Saffir-Simpson scale. But what does this mean? Can it reach Category 6?
Updated reports from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center indicate that Polo has intensified in recent hours, remaining at Category 5, but with sustained winds exceeding 290 km/h that could cause "catastrophic damage" off the coasts of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and Manzanillo, Colima.
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The fact that Polo has winds with a speed greater than 290 km/h would represent a catastrophic scenario for the Mexican coast should it make landfall. The National Disaster Prevention Center (CENAPRED) and the National Coordination of Civil Protection point out that its wind speeds would unleash severe damage such as the following:
- El derrumbe de techos y paredes en casas
- Las construcciones ligeras podrían ser llevadas por el viento
- Daños extremos a muelles
- Vegetación arrasada por el viento
- Erosión total de las playas
- Inundación en terrenos planos provocando daños graves de hasta 460 metros de la costa
Regarding whether the hurricane can increase in category, the Saffir-Simpson scale indicates it is not possible, as there is no Category 6. All hurricanes that exceed the 250 km/h threshold remain in Category 5.
What is the Saffir-Simpson scale?
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale classifies hurricanes from 1 to 5 based on their maximum sustained wind speed and is used to estimate potential property damage. Category 3, 4, and 5 hurricanes are considered major hurricanes due to their ability to cause devastating or catastrophic damage.
The scale only measures wind and does not take into account other hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding, or tornadoes. Therefore, even a lower-category hurricane can pose a life-threatening risk and require protective measures, including evacuation from vulnerable areas, explains NOAA.
Path of Hurricane Polo off the coast of Mexico. Where is it headed?
The hurricane center's update indicated that Polo was expected to move in a general west-northwest direction over the coming days.
Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes in several areas along the coast as Polo brushed against the coastline. Many residents in the region were on edge this week, watching the direction of the rapidly intensifying hurricane.
In recent years, the Pacific coastal states of Guerrero and Oaxaca have been devastated by powerful hurricanes hitting the coast, and several communities are still dealing with the aftermath.
The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said in her morning press conference that experts had indicated it was unlikely the hurricane would make landfall. The Mexican Navy closed ports in the states of Guerrero and Michoacán as a precaution and warned civilians and fishermen to exercise caution.
[Publicidad]