Sea-surface temperatures along Hurricane Polo's path reached 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.2 degrees Celsius) in late September 2026, up to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above normal.

From the articleWas El Niño to blame for Hurricane Polo’s record-breaking storm?Also in Climate Change Now Outpaces El Niño in Pacific Hurricane Risk, Polo Study Finds, Estudio dice que el calentamiento global contribuyó más que El Niño a potenciar el huracán Polo, Study says global warming did more than El Niño to turbocharge Hurricane Polo, El Niño helped turn tropical storm into Category 5 monster in just 24 hours