As Hurricane Polo churns off Mexico's Pacific coast as a powerful Category 5 storm and Tropical Storm Nolo threatens Hawaii, Californians may be wondering whether either system could bring impacts closer to home.
Forecasters say Polo is not expected to strike California directly, but Southern California could see larger surf, dangerous rip currents, and possibly some added moisture in the coming days. Nolo, meanwhile, is forecast to remain focused on Hawaii.
Polo intensified from a 50-mph tropical storm on the morning of Monday, Sept. 21, to a 160-mph Category 5 hurricane in 24 hours, according to AccuWeather forecasters.
"This storm has the potential to rapidly intensify and begin bringing flooding rain to the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima
and Michoacán by Tuesday," AccuWeather Hurricane Lead Expert Alex Duffus said in a statement.
Here's what Californians should know.
Will Hurricane Polo affect California?
Hurricane Polo is expected to make landfall by early next week, said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, in a phone call on Sept. 24.
Polo will make landfall in California, but not the one in the U.S. Early projections show the hurricane moving west then northwest off the Mexican coast, and eventually making landfall in the state of Baja California Sur by late Sept. 28 and early Sept. 29, according to a map from the National Hurricane Center.
While the storm is not expected to hit California, the southwestern coast of the state will likely feel the effects of it, Lewis said.
San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties may see significant hazardous rip currents and 4- to 7-foot swells over the next few days, the meteorologist said. The areas may also see humidity and a small chance of rain, he added.
What is Tropical Storm Nolo, and could it affect California?
While Hurricane Polo is drawing attention along Mexico's Pacific coast, forecasters are also tracking Tropical Storm Nolo in the central Pacific near Hawaii.
The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and could become a major hurricane as it approaches the Hawaiian Islands, bringing the threat of torrential rain, flooding, mudslides, rough surf and storm surge.
At this point, there is no indication that Nolo will directly affect California. The storm is forecast to remain focused on Hawaii, and forecasters have not projected any impacts to the U.S. West Coast.
Still, forecasters can monitor Pacific tropical systems far beyond their immediate forecast area because changes in steering patterns can alter a storm's track over time. For now, California forecasters are focused on potential surf, rip current, and moisture impacts from Hurricane Polo, not Tropical Storm Nolo.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Hurricane Polo won't hit California, but surf hazards are likely
