Storm Polo weakens over Mexico as Rachel gathers strength offshore

Tropical Storm Polo weakened over northwestern Mexico on Tuesday after making a second landfall and ‌drenching the Baja California peninsula, while a strengthening Tropical Storm Rachel churned offshore, threatening more dangerous weather for Mexico's Pacific coast. Polo again came ashore earlier on Tuesday near the port city of Guaymas as a Category 1 hurricane after ‌crossing the peninsula the day before, the US National Hurricane Center said. By 2 p.m. MST (2100 GMT), Polo's ‌maximum sustained winds had fallen to 65 mph (100 kph), with rapid weakening expected as it pushes farther inland.

Though Polo is fading, forecasters warned its moisture could continue fueling heavy rain well beyond Mexico. The NHC said Polo could dump 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 ⁠cm) across southern ​and central Sonora state, ⁠with isolated totals of up to 8 inches, raising the risk of life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Private forecaster AccuWeather said Polo's remnants could help ⁠trigger a broader deluge across the US Southwest and Plains.

Before its second landfall, Polo tore across Baja California Sur as a ​Category 2 hurricane, flooding crossings, toppling palm trees and utility poles and sending police to block inundated roads. "At ⁠my house we tied everything down, we prepared very well," resident Bertha Lopez said. "We expected it to be stronger, but thank God it ⁠wasn't ​so disastrous."

Baja California Sur Governor Victor Manuel Castro said no deaths had been reported. Even as Polo weakened, Rachel was intensifying to the south.

The NHC said Rachel, about 270 miles (435 km) west-southwest of port Lazaro Cardenas, ⁠had strengthened to 70 mph (110 kph) winds and was forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday night and a ⁠major hurricane by Thursday, ⁠moving parallel to, but remaining off the coast of southwestern Mexico.