Polo's Rapid Intensification Left Meteorologists Reaching for 'Absolute Insanity'

Hurricane Polo began in mid-September 2026 as a tropical disturbance off Mexico's Pacific coast. By September 23, when NASA's Earth Observatory published a satellite image of the storm, Polo had rapidly intensified and was spinning over unusually warm water. The speed of the change left meteorologists groping for language: NASA's account records some describing the storm's rate of intensification and strength as “jaw-dropping,” others as “astonishing,” and others as “absolute insanity.”