SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Hurricane Polo was churning in the Pacific Ocean off the southwestern coast of Mexico as a category 5 storm on Tuesday and is forecast to head up the coast through the weekend, bringing more large waves and dangerous ocean conditions to Southern California early next week.
The latest Pacific hurricane to impact the West Coast had 180 mph winds Tuesday that were slamming parts of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports.
Hurricane Polo reaches Category 5 strength off Mexico’s Pacific coast
The storm is forecast to reach the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula by Sunday, according to the NHC.
As the weekend ends, Southern California will start to get impacts from the hurricane. The National Weather Service in San Diego said the agency is monitoring swells from Hurricane Polo that are expected to bring large waves and high tides to the coast.
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Large swells are forecast to impact the Southern California coast starting Sunday, peaking Monday, and lasting through Tuesday, especially at south-facing beaches.
High tides Monday could reach 7 feet.
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The large waves and high tides could also cause more coastal erosion and brings the risk of coastal flooding early next week.
The life-threatening surf and rip currents will first impact southwestern Mexico over the next few days. The hurricane is also expected to dump several inches of rain on coastal Mexican states.
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(PHOTO: National Hurricane Center)
The impending hurricane swell is just the latest part of an active Pacific hurricane season. It has also been a record year for rescues at San Diego County beaches mainly due to the warm waters and dangerous ocean conditions.
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