Hurricane Polo skirts Mexico, threatens US Southwest with flooding rains

Hurricane Polo, one of the strongest Pacific storms on record with 165 mph winds, will remain offshore parallel to Mexico but is forecast to pull a moisture corridor that could trigger intense monsoonal rains and flash flooding in Arizona and New Mexico, plus dangerous surf along California's coast, as it nears Baja California around September 26-27. The storm's center staying offshore reduces direct wind impact, but the indirect hydrological threat to the US Southwest is the primary concern. Forecast confidence is moderate given the multi-day outlook.