Author: Australia By Aussie

Hurricane Polo has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 165mph (270km/h), according to the US National Hurricane Center.

The storm was centred about 215 miles (345km) south of Zihuatanejo in Guerrero state on Tuesday, moving slowly north. Forecasters said its core was expected to remain offshore, but warned that the system could still bring dangerous conditions to parts of south-western Mexico.

Polo intensifies in less than a day

Polo had been a tropical storm on Monday, with winds below hurricane strength. Within less than 24 hours, it strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

The National Hurricane Center described Polo as an extremely dangerous hurricane. Its advisory said some additional strengthening was possible, although fluctuations in strength were also expected. Hurricane-force winds extended up to about 35 miles (55km) from the centre, while tropical-storm-force winds reached as far as 90 miles (150km).

Mexico had issued a tropical storm warning for part of the south-western coast, including areas between Tecpan de Galeana and Punta San Telmo. Forecasters warned that heavy rain could lead to life-threatening flooding and mudslides inland, while coastal communities could face dangerous surf and rip currents.

El Niño linked to active Pacific season

The rapid strengthening is occurring as a strong El Niño pattern influences the Pacific. El Niño develops when ocean temperatures in parts of the central and eastern tropical Pacific become warmer than their historical average, changing atmospheric conditions around the world.

Meteorologists say El Niño can suppress some of the conditions that support hurricane development in the Atlantic while favouring greater activity in parts of the Pacific. The 2026 Pacific season has already produced 18 named storms and seven hurricanes, according to the information cited by the National Hurricane Center and the Guardian report.

The Atlantic has had a much quieter season. By 21 September, it had recorded six named tropical storms but no hurricanes. The lack of an Atlantic hurricane by that point was described in the Guardian report as the first such occurrence in 112 years.

Mexico remains under weather threat

Although Polo was forecast to remain offshore, the distance from land does not remove the risk. Heavy rainfall can cause flooding and mudslides away from a hurricane’s centre, while large waves and strong currents can create dangerous conditions along the coast.

The National Hurricane Center said Polo was expected to move slowly near the coast of south-western Mexico over the following days, with the storm forecast to turn towards the northwest and west-northwest. The exact track and intensity remained subject to change.

Polo is the 18th named storm and seventh hurricane of the 2026 Pacific hurricane season, which runs from 15 May to 30 November. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November.

For communities near the affected coastline, the immediate concerns are flooding, mudslides, high surf and strong winds rather than a direct landfall. Residents in areas covered by official warnings should continue to follow instructions from Mexican authorities and local emergency services as the forecast develops.

Source: The Guardian

Outgoing United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the climate crisis is intensifying faster and with wider consequences than many leaders anticipated.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres said fossil fuel polluters had treated the atmosphere as an “open sewer” and called for those responsible for the greatest pollution and profits to do more to address the damage.

Guterres urged governments to adopt national plans for transitioning away from fossil fuels, aligned with the 1.5C temperature goal, with clear timelines and protections for affected workers and communities. The UN says he also called for developed countries to increase adaptation finance and for stronger action on climate resilience.

The UN chief pointed to accelerating glacier melt and recent climate-related disasters as evidence of the growing risks. He said the impacts were arriving sooner, hitting harder and spreading further than many had anticipated.

His warning comes as leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly and a high-level climate summit focused on accelerating the energy transition, climate finance and adaptation. The UN says the 2026 climate summit is intended to strengthen cooperation between major economies, developing countries, vulnerable nations and energy producers and consumers.

Guterres has made climate action a major part of his nine-year tenure as secretary-general. His term is due to end this year.

The UN has also highlighted the continuing growth of renewable energy, while Guterres warned that the transition away from fossil fuels needs to be managed in a way that protects workers and communities.

Australia By Aussie has previously reported on research examining the distribution of benefits from the global move towards net zero, including concerns that poorer nations could wait longer to see major gains.

Source: The Guardian

New research led by Australian climate scientists suggests the unequal effects of global warming will persist even after greenhouse gas emissions reach net zero, with poorer tropical regions among the last to benefit from any reduction in warming.

The study, led by Dr Andrew King and colleagues at the University of Melbourne and published in Environmental Research Letters, examined three sets of computer modelling experiments looking at temperature changes after global emissions reach net zero. The researchers compared the projected changes with countries’ gross domestic product.

The research found tropical areas have experienced greater warming relative to their historical temperature ranges than many higher-latitude regions, including wealthier parts of Europe and North America. The researchers found this uneven pattern would not simply disappear when global emissions reach net zero.

King said the length and scale of the remaining warming would depend partly on how much carbon dioxide is emitted before net zero is reached. The research also indicates that a net-negative emissions pathway, involving the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, could take many decades before the existing inequality begins to reverse.

Tropical ecosystems may also face prolonged impacts because some, including coral reef systems, have evolved within narrower temperature ranges than ecosystems at higher latitudes.

The findings were reported alongside new recommendations from the UN refugee agency and the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at the University of Melbourne about the relationship between climate change and statelessness. UNHCR said about 4.5 million people are currently known to be stateless, while noting the actual number is likely higher.

The recommendations highlight risks linked to climate-driven displacement, sea-level rise, extreme weather, loss of identity documents and disruption to civil registration systems. They call for measures including stronger birth registration and identity systems and safeguards to help children affected by climate-related disasters acquire a nationality.

The research adds to evidence that reaching net zero would not mean climate impacts disappear immediately. The timing and extent of future changes will depend on the emissions pathway followed and how the climate system responds.

Related Australia By Aussie coverage

Our earlier report on Australia’s carbon offset system examines another aspect of the country’s climate policy and emissions debate.

Source

The Guardian

By Australia By Aussie