The Foreign Office has warned holidaymakers not to travel to a popular destination as Hurricane Polo is set to wreak havoc across Mexico. The storm, reclassified as a category five hurricane — the most powerful — after initially being downgraded to level four, is set to make landfall with southern Mexico in the coming days.
Category Five Storm Approaching
Category five storms can see winds pass the 157mph mark, and Hurricane Polo will be 'one of the strongest storms ever' in the Pacific basin, according to Professor Kristen L. Corbosiero from the University at Albany.
After the storm's potential became clear, the Foreign Office updated its advice for British tourists planning on travelling to Mexico, warning them to 'follow advice from local authorities and your tour operator'.
Foreign Office Advice
The Foreign Office said: "Hurricane Polo is bringing heavy rainfall across Mexico's southwestern coast, including parts of Guerrero, Michoacan and Oaxaca states. Heavy rain is expected to continue during the week of September 21, and may cause life-threatening flooding and landslides. A hurricane warning is in place."
It added: "Follow advice from local authorities and your tour operator. See extreme weather and natural hazards for advice about how to prepare for travel during hurricane season and what to do ahead of a storm."
Existing Travel Warnings
The hurricane warning comes as the Foreign Office's long-standing advice over where it is safe to travel in Mexico remains unchanged. Officials advise against any non-essential travel in 11 Mexican states, except for specific circumstances. The 11 states include Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero, and Chiapas.
The warnings cover the major city of Tijuana, but do say airside transit through its international airport is safe. The Foreign Office has issued the long-standing advice due to 'drug-related violence' in the northern, western, and central states.
It advises: "Many fatalities are suspected gang members killed in violent clashes between the different organisations competing for control of trafficking routes into the USA. Armed clashes between security forces and drug groups can happen at any time without warning. Take extreme care outside tourist areas in all these states."
In eastern Mexico, diplomats said: "There has been an increase in security incidents in the states of Tabasco and Veracruz, including the city of Veracruz. Illegal roadblocks are reported frequently. Be extremely cautious."
Southern Mexico is also blighted by drug violence, the government says, especially close to the border with Guatemala: "Gangs do not usually target tourists, but you could be a victim of violence due to mistaken identity or on suspicion of spying for other organised criminal gangs. There is a risk of being caught in crossfire between rival organised crime groups."
Popular British holidaymaker destinations in Mexico such as Cancun, Tulum, and Mexico City are not subject to the warning. Mexico's army has been put on standby to prepare for Hurricane Polo.
