Hurricane Polo's Category 5 Intensity from Space

Seeing the Behemoth

A spaceborne lens captures the immense power of Hurricane Polo to scale. Miles away from Mexico's Pacific Coastlines, the hurricane's magnified view showcases its furious centre, an eye from which powerful gusts can span 200 miles. An offscreen expert narrates the catastrophic event though we have no details of their credentials. The sudden transition from an impressive aerial perspective of the tempest to a static shot with critical information on screen. Hurricanes terrify us for a reason — they devour land and sea, They defy simple description. Then, the video abruptly ends.

The Storm's Fury

The National Hurricane Center reports the tempest with maximum sustained winds. One can only imagine the scale the winds present: 160 miles per hour. The hurricane could impact Guerrero and Michoacán. Life threatening flooding and mudslides loom. Earth and water take cover from a firestorm. This natural disaster is the culmination of intense atmospheric processes, driven by warmth-loving winds propelling hot air upwards. The interplay of low-pressure areas and warm ocean waters fuels their power. They churn across the ocean, the storms' eyes are vast depressions. Hurricanes suck air from their environment, violently drawing in the surrounding atmosphere. Air pressure and temperature fluctuate dramatically around them. With the intense updrafts and energy expelled at the core, hurricane is its own electrical storm. Violent electrical storms and accumulations of water vapor invigorate the tempest. During these events, the wind can reach up to 100 miles away from the storm's eye.

The Storm's Fury - On Land

And yet, the worst of hurricane Polo may not be its immediate destructive strength. Worse is the aftermath it leaves behind: They may remain offshore but rainfall causes flooding. The chaos and destruction of the event are not limited to landfall. While most of the rainfall falls at sea, rain from the storm will cause rainfall that could trigger life threatening flooding. The wind can propel debris for great distances and cause severe damage to buildings. The winds whisk up debris, and the rain brings flooding and mudslides.

The Storm's Analysts

How does a storm of this magnitude continue to hover over a coastline? The watch along Mexico's coastlines means preparations are underway. Because of the hurricane's extreme winds, a tropical storm watch remains active. As the hurricane sits off Mexico's Pacific coast, the main threat to land is its rainfall. Communities brace for evacuation orders. Tornadoes may spin off from the hurricane.