Hurricane Polo intensifies to Category 5, leftovers threaten Southwest flooding
Hurricane Polo just shot up from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in just 24 hours; now hammering Baja California Sur.
While it won't directly hit the US its leftovers (and those from post-tropical cyclone Odalys) are set to dump heavy rain across the Southwest starting Monday.
Flood watches are up for New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Colorado, with up to four inches of rain expected and an increased risk of flash floods thanks to already dry or fire-damaged land.
El Nino drives busy Pacific season
This year's Pacific hurricane season is busier than usual, with 20 named storms and seven major hurricanes so far, mostly due to warmer ocean temperatures from El Nino.
Even though these storms rarely reach the US mainland, their impact on weather (like this round of flooding) is hard to ignore.