Hurricane Polo grows into Category 5 storm off Mexico, could produce life-threatening flooding

Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified in the Pacific as it continued on its path off the coast of southwestern Mexico on Tuesday, growing into a powerful Category 5 storm that could bring life-threatening flooding to parts of the states of Guerrero and Michoacán, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane center called Polo "extremely dangerous" as its maximum sustained winds climbed to 175 mph. The storm was expected to fluctuate in intensity over the next few days, forecasters said, but would remain a "very powerful major hurricane." It was expected to remain centered offshore. Hurricane Polo's pathAs of Tuesday evening, Polo was located off the coast of Zihuatanejo, a coastal resort city in the Mexican state of Guerrero, and Manzanillo, another coastal city and resort destination in the state of Colima.