[Source: Reuters]

Mexican authorities ​urged residents of Baja California Sur to prepare for the imminent arrival of major Hurricane Polo on Monday, warning of ‌deadly winds and flash floods.

“Conditions deteriorating over portions of Baja California as life-threatening winds and flash floods expected to occur soon,” the US National Hurricane Center said in a post on X.

Restaurant and store owners in the small coastal towns of Loreto and Ciudad Constitucion boarded up doors and windows overnight to protect their businesses, in anticipation ​of worsening weather conditions.

Polo is expected to make landfall in the state of Baja California Sur in the evening, then move inland ​into southern Sonora on Tuesday morning, the NHC said in a bulletin.

Access to beaches has been restricted and ⁠maritime activities suspended in high-risk areas in the state, Laura Velazquez, head of Mexico’s civil protection agency, said during Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning ​news conference.

Velazquez asked citizens to remain calm as power and internet services will most likely be out for a few hours, until midnight.

On Monday afternoon, ​the Category 3 hurricane was about 80 miles (125 km) west-southwest of Cabo San Lazaro in Baja California Sur, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph (185 kph) and higher gusts, according to the NHC.

The storm is expected to dump 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of rain across the state, raising the risk of life-threatening flooding and ​mudslides.
Despite weakening slightly, Polo is expected to make landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane, private forecaster AccuWeather said.

It noted the storm ​was set to hit a sparsely populated area, though small towns, including Las Barrancas and San Juanico — both with fewer than 1,000 residents, according to the latest census — ‌lie in ⁠its path.

Polo, which has tracked off Mexico’s Pacific coast for several days, has brought heavy rain, destructive waves and strong winds, prompting evacuations, port closures and school cancellations.

After passing the Baja California peninsula, home to tourist destinations, including Los Cabos and the Arch of Cabo San Lucas, Polo is expected to weaken.

However, it could still make a second landfall on mainland Mexico as a hurricane.