Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Sept. 25, 2026 — Hurricane Polo strengthened to Category 5 Friday morning as it moved west, leaving the area facing rain and hazardous surf through the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center’s 9 a.m. advisory placed Polo about 290 miles (470 kilometers) southwest of Cabo Corrientes. Sustained winds near its center reached 180 mph (285 kph). It was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).
The Category 5 rating describes winds near Polo’s offshore center, not a wind forecast for Puerto Vallarta. The hurricane center had issued no coastal watches or warnings Friday morning.
Rain and surf in Puerto Vallarta
Jalisco civil protection’s 9 a.m. update forecasts 30 to 60 millimeters (1.2 to 2.4 inches) of rain over 48 hours in Costa-Sierra Occidental, the region that includes Puerto Vallarta. That is a regional forecast, not a predicted total for any one neighborhood.
The state also forecasts surf of 2 to 3 meters along Jalisco’s coast Friday and Saturday. It does not give measured wave heights for Playa Camarones, Los Muertos or other individual Vallarta beaches.
On Friday morning, the city’s lifeguard chief reported yellow flags along Vallarta’s beaches. He said waves could rise Friday night and Saturday, prompting red flags where conditions become unsafe.
A separate city beach warning says elevated surf and tides could affect the shoreline from Saturday afternoon through Tuesday. The city advised beachfront businesses to secure furniture and equipment, as detailed in our earlier report.
The hurricane center warned that Polo’s swells are “likely to cause life-threatening surf, rip currents, and coastal flooding” along affected coasts. Jalisco civil protection urged people to avoid beach recreation and to stay out of flooded roads and streams.
State education authorities suspended in-person classes through Friday in Puerto Vallarta and 32 other Jalisco municipalities. jalisco-alerta.ghost.io The preventive order covers both school shifts.
Polo’s forecast track
The hurricane center forecasts a turn northwest Saturday and north Sunday, followed by an approach toward Baja California Sur early next week. It expects Polo to begin weakening Saturday while remaining a strong hurricane offshore.
