Mexico’s Navy has closed the ports of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo to all vessels as Hurricane Polo moves slowly off the country's southwest coast, according to its latest update, reported by Excélsior. Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Puerto Escondido and Puerto Marqués are closed only to smaller vessels. Manzanillo is shut to vessels under 500 gross tons, while large commercial container ships keep working, FreightWaves reported.
Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas are Mexico’s two main Pacific container gateways for Asian imports. Manzanillo, the country’s largest container gateway, handled about 2.46 million TEU in the first seven months of the year, up 11.7%, according to The Loadstar. Lázaro Cárdenas handled 1.34 million TEU over the same months, up 6%.
The Navy said high waves and wind gusts raise the risk to vessels, while rain and fog cut visibility at sea. Polo strengthened back to a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds early Thursday, per the National Hurricane Center advisory. A tropical storm warning covers the coast from Tecpan de Galeana to Manzanillo. A tropical storm watch runs west of Manzanillo to Playa Perula.
The hurricane center expects Polo’s core to stay offshore of southwestern Mexico before moving farther out to sea. The storm is forecast to turn west-northwest later Thursday and Friday, then northwest on Saturday.
