Hurricane Polo batters Mexico's Pacific coast and threatens California with 'death band' as catastrophic flooding looms

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026.

Hurricane Polo is surging toward the US West Coast after lashing Mexico's Pacific coastline, with Long Beach residents — still recovering from earlier storm damage — now bracing for a direct hit from the Category 4 monster. Hurricane hunters flying inside the eye captured terrifying footage of the colossal storm's scale. Weather watchers flagged a rare 'death band' formation on radar, with forecasters calling it a 'weird looking storm'. El Niño conditions — which experts warn could be the strongest on record — are driving an extraordinary Pacific season that has already surpassed typical annual storm totals with two months still to run.

University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy warns the current El Niño could be 'perhaps the strongest on record', with its peak expected this winter before lingering into 2027.

Storm-weary Hawaii faces a separate threat, with Tropical Storm Nolo growing and bringing the potential for catastrophic flooding.

While the Pacific is overwhelmed with storms, El Niño has conversely suppressed Atlantic hurricane activity to near silence this year.