Colossal hurricane blooms into truly historic behemoth as it threatens flash floods, mudslides

Hurricane Polo has exploded into a monstrous Category 5 storm with 180-mph winds, becoming the second-strongest hurricane ever recorded in the eastern Pacific as it threatens Mexico’s southwestern coast with life-threatening floods and mudslides.The National Hurricane Center said Polo was still strengthening after rapidly intensifying on Tuesday.The storm is expected to remain “extremely dangerous” for the next several days as it tracks northwestward over an ocean environment loaded with extremely warm water, abundant moisture and low wind shear.“Therefore even more strengthening is possible,” the hurricane center warned, raising the prospect of an even more powerful storm as Polo continues feeding on the overheated Pacific.Atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci offered a jaw-dropping description of the hurricane’s explosive development when he wrote, “INCREDIBLE developments with Superhurricane Polo, which likely now has winds in the 175+ mph range.

It has heated the air enough to lift HALF A TRILLION pounds of air out the middle, driving an incredible vacuum effect that’s resulting in obscene winds.”Mexico is facing the most immediate threat, with Polo expected to drench southwestern coastal areas through Thursday even though the hurricane itself is forecast to remain offshore.Forecasters have warned that the rainfall could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in steep terrain, while tropical storm warnings have been issued for portions of southwestern Mexico.Southern California is expected to escape the worst of Polo, although the massive storm could still stir up trouble along a coastline that has already endured repeated pounding from Pacific weather.Polo could pull tropical moisture toward the region depending on conditions in the upper atmosphere, according to Bryan Lewis, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard.However, Lewis put the chance of rain in Los Angeles County at only 5% on Tuesday afternoon.T...