Hurricane Polo Takes Aim at Baja California Sur: What Expats and Travelers Need to Know
Updated 3 times · Latest: 29 September 2026
Hurricane Polo has dissipated after two landfalls in fourteen hours. Baja California Sur escaped without deaths, Guaymas flooded, and four members of one family were killed in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco. Here is how the storm unfolded, and what it meant for Mexico’s Pacific corridor.
Key Facts
- The outcome Hurricane Polo dissipated on Tuesday 29 September 2026, after two landfalls in fourteen hours.
- The final advisory The National Hurricane Center issued its last advisory at 8 p.m. local time. The remnants were over north-western Mexico, 245 miles (395 km) north-east of Guaymas, with 35 mph (55 km/h) winds.
- Baja California Sur A storm surge breached defenses at Puerto San Carlos, but the state was remarkably unscathed: no deaths, and power and water stayed intact.
- Sonora Polo made landfall as a hurricane with 115 mph (185 km/h) winds, and Guaymas flooded. Sonora suspended classes in all 72 municipalities for Tuesday and Wednesday.
- The toll Four members of one family were killed in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco.
- What next Tropical Storm Rachel was building off Michoacán, a separate story.
How Polo Ended
Polo was a Category 3 hurricane on Monday 28 September, with sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a central pressure of 954 mb. It was about 260 miles (420 km) west of Cabo San Lucas, moving north at 10 mph (17 km/h), with a turn to the northeast expected.
Mexico upgraded the mainland watch to a hurricane warning. Warnings covered the Baja California Sur west coast from Punta Abreojos to Santa Fe, the east coast from Loreto to Santa Rosalía, and the mainland from Bahía Kino to Huatabampito.
Polo crossed Baja California Sur overnight and made landfall in Sonora on the morning of Tuesday 29 September as a hurricane with 115 mph winds (NHC advisory 34, 03:00 UTC). A storm surge breached defenses at Puerto San Carlos. Sonora suspended classes in all 72 municipalities for Tuesday and Wednesday.
The NHC expected 6 to 12 inches of rain on Baja California Sur and 4 to 6 inches (locally 8) on Sonora, with dangerous surf for another day or two.
The National Hurricane Center issued its last advisory at 8 p.m. on 29 September (advisory 38). The remnants were 245 miles (395 km) north-east of Guaymas, with 35 mph (55 km/h) winds, racing north-east at 23 mph. All coastal warnings ended on Tuesday. A wind advisory still covered southern New Mexico and far west Texas overnight.
The final toll: two landfalls in fourteen hours, a flooded Guaymas, a remarkably unscathed Baja California Sur with no deaths and power and water intact, and four members of one family killed in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco. Full story: Polo fades after two landfalls, Baja escapes without deaths, Guaymas flooded. Behind Polo, Tropical Storm Rachel was building off Michoacán, a separate story.
For foreign residents and visitors, the effects were mostly practical: school suspensions, port closures and shelters on standby. Our daily guides tracked the storm on Monday 28 September and Tuesday 29 September.
How Polo Looked on 22 September
At 9 p.m. CST on Tuesday 22 September, the National Hurricane Center put Polo’s center about 210 miles (335 km) south of Zihuatanejo, with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a central pressure of 905 millibars, down from 920 millibars earlier in the day. Polo had reached Category 5 and was barely moving, drifting northeast at 1 mph. Forecasters expected a sharp turn to the northwest that would keep the core offshore.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said that day the hurricane “will not reach the coast directly”. A tropical storm warning ran from Tecpan de Galeana to Punta San Telmo, and tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 105 miles from the center.
What Closed Along the Pacific Corridor
The shutdowns were maritime and educational. Acapulco’s port closed to small boats on Monday 21 September at 3 p.m. Guerrero suspended classes on Tuesday across the Costa Grande, Acapulco and Costa Chica regions. Michoacán closed schools for Tuesday and Wednesday in seven coastal municipalities and opened 19 shelters. Jalisco readied 38 shelters for about 10,000 people. The army’s DN-III-E disaster plan was on preventive deployment in Guerrero, Jalisco and Colima, with the navy’s Plan Marina active alongside.
Puerto Vallarta was on blue alert, the lowest of Mexico’s five alert levels, and outside the warning area. The Island Princess moved its Puerto Vallarta call from Wednesday to Thursday. Airports along the corridor were operating on Tuesday night.
The NHC forecast 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 8 inches, in Guerrero and Michoacán, and 2 to 4 inches in Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco through Thursday, with a risk of flash flooding and mudslides in the Sierra Madre del Sur foothills.
Sources
- National Hurricane Center — Hurricane Polo Advisory No. 10, 9 p.m. CST 22 September 2026 (position, intensity, warnings, rainfall and wind probabilities)
- Government of Mexico / state governments of Guerrero, Michoacán and Jalisco — port closure, school suspensions and shelter counts, via The Rio Times desk, 21–22 September 2026
- President Claudia Sheinbaum, morning press conference — “will not reach the coast directly”, 22 September 2026
- Princess Cruises itinerary change — Island Princess Puerto Vallarta call moved 23 to 24 September, via The Rio Times desk
- The Rio Times desk reporting, 21–29 September 2026
- National Hurricane Center — Hurricane Polo Advisories No. 30A, 34 and 38 (final), 28–29 September 2026
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times. See also our report on the aftermath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Hurricane Polo make landfall?
Yes, twice in fourteen hours. Polo crossed Baja California Sur overnight and made landfall in Sonora on the morning of Tuesday 29 September as a hurricane with 115 mph winds.
Is Polo still a threat?
No. The National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory at 8 p.m. on Tuesday 29 September, with the remnants over north-western Mexico. All coastal warnings ended that day.
How bad was the damage?
A storm surge breached defenses at Puerto San Carlos in Baja California Sur, which otherwise escaped without deaths and with power and water intact. Guaymas flooded, and four members of one family were killed in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco.
Did schools close?
Sonora suspended classes in all 72 municipalities for Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 September. Earlier, Guerrero and Michoacán had closed schools in coastal areas.
Is another storm coming?
Tropical Storm Rachel was building off Michoacán, a separate story. See our report on Tropical Storm Rachel.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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