Hurricane Polo is forecast to make landfall on Mexico's Baja California peninsula later on Monday or early on Tuesday, as thousands of military personnel have been deployed and residents have stocked up on essentials. Meanwhile, Hurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, though the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding, and strong winds persisted, according to The Guardian.

Hurricane Polo approaches Mexico

People living on Mexico's northern Pacific coast are bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Polo, a category three storm, according to the BBC. The storm is expected to move over the state of Baja California Sur, a region popular with tourists and home to the resort destination of Los Cabos, the BBC reported.

The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of heavy rainfall from Polo, which could lead to life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas with steep terrain, according to the BBC. The NHC also warned that the storm could unleash a storm surge accompanied by large and destructive waves.

On Sunday, residents stocked up on necessities such as drinking water and food as the storm approached, the BBC reported. In Cabo San Lucas, authorities restricted access to beaches, and some restaurants in the town, which serves as a base for sport fishers and whale watchers, closed their doors.

The regional government of Baja California Sur has ordered schools to remain closed on Monday as a preventive measure, according to the BBC. Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío said temporary shelters had been opened for residents who might need to evacuate. Federal authorities have also deployed thousands of members of the navy and army, along with specialized machinery, the BBC added.

Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) stated on social media that Polo was expected to make a Baja landfall on Monday, according to The Guardian. The Mexican government issued a hurricane warning along the coast of mainland Mexico from Huatabampito to Guaymas. The Mexican navy said it had gathered personnel and humanitarian aid in the ports of Guaymas and Mazatlán, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, and deployed three vessels capable of shipping aid to coastal communities isolated by the hurricane, The Guardian reported.

San Juanico, a small fishing community on Baja’s Pacific coast, is in the hurricane’s projected path. The town has only had full-time electricity for a few years and still experiences frequent outages. There is concern that washed-out roads could block access to the closest medical facility, located about 80 minutes away in Ciudad Constitución, according to The Guardian.

"Our people are concerned about this event. We haven’t faced such a worrying situation in many years," Gloriely Robles Meza, a manager at a small hotel, told The Guardian on Sunday.

Robles Meza added that the Mexican army arrived in San Juanico on Sunday to prepare a shelter and provide support for possible emergencies. An electrical crew was also present to prepare for Polo’s arrival, The Guardian reported.

On Sunday, Hurricane Polo remained a dangerous category 3 hurricane with top sustained winds of 125mph and was moving to the north-north-west at 12mph, approximately 275 miles (445km) south-south-west of Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula’s southern tip, according to US hurricane forecasters cited by The Guardian. The BBC reported that lifeguards raised red flags on the beaches of Baja California Sur to alert holidaymakers of hazardous sea conditions.

Hurricane Nolo moves away from Hawaii

Hurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding, and strong winds persisted in areas of the island chain still recovering from previous storms, The Guardian reported. Nolo was about 365 miles (585km) south-south-west of Honolulu and moving away from the Big Island at approximately 12mph (19km/h).

The Hawaii county civil defense agency stated that a high wind warning, wind advisory, and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening, as Nolo’s maximum sustained winds rose to 115mph, according to The Guardian. Nolo was expected to strengthen further and turn toward the north-west by Sunday night, although the US National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center would remain well south and south-west of the Hawaiian Islands.

The storm was expected to approach the Papahānaumokuākea marine national monument, a national conservation area, early this week, The Guardian reported. Forecasters warned that Nolo’s outer bands could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with parts of the Big Island possibly receiving up to 20in (50cm) of rain. Heavy rain was also expected on the other islands.

"Don’t venture out if you don’t have to into the dangerous flooding environment, but also high winds. We can have trees and power lines down," Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, told The Guardian.

Heavy rain fell across the southern part of the Big Island on Saturday afternoon, leading to partial closures of one of the main highways linking Kailua-Kona in the west to Hilo in the east, The Guardian reported. Near Naalehu, at the island’s southern point, national guard members were seen guiding a man driving through flooded streets as he tried to leave his home during a downpour. More than 120 guard members were activated on the island, part of roughly 400 statewide after the governor issued an emergency proclamation.

Residents are still recovering from Hurricane Lala, which produced heavy rain and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island, according to The Guardian. About a dozen people were in the water on Saturday morning at Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo on the Big Island, despite signs indicating the strand was closed. Andrea Gill, a regular swimmer, told The Guardian that storms were common, but hurricanes were rare, expressing hope that the islands might not experience the full impact.

"We’re used to lots of rain. We’re not used to wind. So it’s always a blessing when we don’t get the wind from the hurricane," Gill said, according to The Guardian.

Shop owners boarded up businesses, and events were canceled, The Guardian reported. Donald Trump recently approved an emergency declaration, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate assistance and provide funding support. Hawaiian Electric, the state’s primary utility, stated that crews helping restore power in Kauai after this month’s Hurricane Lowell returned to Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island in response to Nolo, The Guardian added.

Regional Context

The Pacific has been unusually active this season, with storm activity running above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec, cited by The Guardian. Oravec said that this pattern is consistent with El Niño years, when the Pacific often experiences more tropical storms and hurricanes. Meteorologists also said Hurricane Polo was being fuelled by extremely warm waters caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, according to the BBC.

Also on Sunday, Tropical Storm Rachel formed well off Mexico’s south-west coast, the Miami-based US hurricane center said, according to The Guardian. Rachel had maximum sustained winds of 40mph and was located about 300 miles south of Acapulco, Mexico. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for Tropical Storm Rachel.