Phenomena: Tropical Cyclone, Hurricane
Satellite: NOAA-20
Product: Infrared and visible
Instrument: Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)
Timespan: Sept. 22, 2026 (20:09 UTC)
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the NOAA-20 satellite captured striking imagery of Hurricane Polo in the eastern Pacific as a Category 5 storm.
Polo rapidly intensified from a tropical depression into a Category 5 hurricane, reaching maximum sustained winds of 180 mph, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. In a 24-hour period, Polo underwent one of the fastest rates of intensification on record in the eastern Pacific. The Hurricane Center described this intensification rate as “truly remarkable.”
A preliminary analysis of International Best Track Archive data (IBTrACS) by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information found that Polo’s wind speed intensification (95 knots in 24 hours) ranks as the third fastest on record in the eastern Pacific. It trails Hurricane Patricia in 2015 (105 knots in 24 hours) and Hurricane Otis in 2023 (100 kts in 24 hours).
Another way to measure how quickly a hurricane intensifies is by looking at the air pressure at its center. In general, the lower the central pressure, the more intense a storm is. By this measure, Polo had the second-fastest drop in minimum central pressure on record in the eastern Pacific, also according to the preliminary analysis. Polo’s minimum central pressure dropped by 88 millibars in 24 hours, ranking behind Hurricane Patricia in 2015, which saw an approximately 100 millibar drop in 24 hours.
The satellite imagery shows Polo’s well-defined eye surrounded by thick, powerful cloud bands. Viewed in both visible and infrared wavelengths, the imagery highlights the storm’s impressive structure as it rapidly intensified.
Polo became the third Category 5 storm of the year in the eastern Pacific, following Hurricanes Genevieve and Lowell, the latter of which reached Category 5 strength after moving into the Central Pacific. Polo is expected to remain just offshore of southwestern Mexico, although the storm has already brought heavy rain and gusty winds to parts of the region. The storm is also forecast to approach the Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane early next week.
The NOAA-20 satellite is part of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), which is the Nation’s advanced series of polar-orbiting environmental satellites. JPSS represents significant technological and scientific advancements in observations used for severe weather prediction and environmental monitoring. These data are critical to the timeliness and accuracy of forecasts three to seven days in advance of a severe weather event. JPSS is a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA.
