A powerful hurricane is racing toward Mexico while Southern California prepares for hazardous surf, strong rip currents and coastal flooding. The storm’s far-reaching swells are expected to pound beaches across the region.

Hurricane Polo is expected to come ashore in Baja California Sur on Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, following a rapid intensification that made it one of the strongest storms ever observed in the eastern Pacific.

Polo is not projected to strike Southern California directly. However, its enormous wave energy is forecast to travel north, with the worst coastal conditions likely to develop Monday and Tuesday.

Large swells could begin reaching the coast late Sunday. High tides of roughly 7 feet may heighten the risk of flooding on beaches, coastal paths and other low-lying areas.

The National Weather Service said Los Angeles and Ventura counties could face 4- to 7-foot surf, dangerous rip currents, beach erosion and possible flooding as the swell arrives near high tide.

Forecasters are especially concerned about the Long Beach Peninsula, Belmont Shore, Malibu and Avalon, though dangerous surf could affect much of the Southern California coastline.

The region is still recovering from Hurricane Marie, which battered the coast earlier this month with powerful swells, king tides and dangerous surf that caused extensive erosion and damage to coastal infrastructure.

Long Beach, Malibu and other shoreline communities reported flooding, damaged seawalls and severe beach erosion, leaving vulnerable areas exposed as cleanup and recovery efforts continue.

Crews in Long Beach and Seal Beach have been reinforcing sand berms and taking additional steps to prepare for possible flooding.

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In Seal Beach, lifeguard towers were removed from sections of the shoreline after erosion reduced the amount of stable beach available for the equipment.

Long Beach officials are also reinforcing the sand berm that protects homes along the peninsula while stockpiling sandbags and positioning pumps ahead of the incoming swell.

“The main concern with this particular system is the significant wave energy, very dangerous surf, significant and potentially dangerous to deadly rip currents will also be occurring,” NOAA’s Dr. Ariel Cohen told KTLA.

The threat is serious enough that wildlife officials moved two recently discovered olive ridley sea turtle nests from Seal Beach and Huntington Beach to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Officials cited the combination of unusually high tides and dangerous surf.

Meanwhile, newly released footage from inside Polo offers a dramatic look at the hurricane’s immense strength.

Video from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters captures a WP-3D aircraft flying directly through Polo’s violent eyewall.

The plane can be seen shaking and lurching as the crew presses toward the eye. Moments later, the intense turbulence gives way to an unexpectedly calm center.

A second angle shows blue sky encircled by towering white clouds as the aircraft breaks through into the hurricane’s eye.

Polo previously reached an astonishing 180 mph, while its central pressure fell to approximately 892 millibars—placing the storm among the most powerful eastern Pacific hurricanes ever recorded.

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Russia could extend its war beyond Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb is taking a notably more measured view. Stubb says Finland is prepared for any threat from Moscow and credits President Donald Trump with intensifying efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.

“I think we’re certainly in a better place than we were before President Trump started,” Stubb told News Media in an on-camera interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. “He’s doubled down in the past year and a half to try to find a solution for peace with negotiators such as Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and many others.”

Stubb, who has been closely engaged in the diplomatic effort, said he and Norway’s prime minister have largely operated “in the back office,” passing information between Ukraine, the United States and European governments.

“I think he’s really working hard and hopefully we’ll get a solution,” Stubb said.

The interview took place during an intense diplomatic week in New York, where the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East dominated discussions.

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in New York during the U.N. General Assembly week as Washington continued trying to restart negotiations with Moscow. Zelenskyy said securing peace remained Ukraine’s priority and thanked Trump for sending two envoys to Kyiv after they had also met with Russian officials in Moscow.

After the meeting, News Media asked Zelenskyy whether Russia might invade or attack another European country in the near future.

“That’s why the risk of offensive by drones, missiles or land operation is very high against other countries who are bordering Russia or Belarus,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin, having failed to reach his military objectives in Ukraine, could try to stir instability elsewhere in Europe and pressure Western governments to scale back their support for Kyiv. He cited drone incursions and disruptions in several European countries as evidence that Moscow is already seeking to intimidate European populations and test how they respond.

Asked by News Media how European countries should respond to the growing danger, Zelenskyy gave a blunt answer.

“Respond. Always respond. It’s not about the war. If you don’t respond, Russians, they will go further,” he said.

Stubb, however, adopted a distinctly calmer tone when asked about Zelenskyy’s warning that Russia might eventually attack other European countries, including Finland, which shares Russia’s longest border.

“As commander-in-chief in Finland, I sit on all the relevant information and I just don’t see a factual basis for it,” Stubb said.

Still, Stubb emphasized that Moscow has not stopped targeting Europe.

He drew a line between Russia’s “kinetic” war in Ukraine and a wider “hybrid” campaign across Europe, citing cyberattacks, sabotage and damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

“We have to see this as a campaign,” he said. “Russia tries to intimidate Europe, scare us and get into our heads.”

His response was characteristically Finnish: “cool, calm and collected, take a sauna and a nice bath and deal with it.”

Stubb said Finland, a country with a population of 5.6 million, can afford that attitude precisely because it has spent decades preparing for a potential threat from its eastern neighbor.

“We are calm because we are prepared,” he said.

He pointed to Finland’s mandatory military service, reserve force, artillery, long-range capabilities and extensive network of civilian shelters. The Finnish Defence Forces puts Finland’s wartime military strength at 280,000 personnel, with additional reservists available if needed.

That deterrent received another boost just days before Stubb traveled to New York. Finland is acquiring 64 F-35A fighter jets to replace its F/A-18 Hornet fleet under a procurement decision announced by the Finnish government.

The first two F-35s intended for operations inside Finland arrived at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi on Sept. 18, according to a Finnish Defence Forces press release.

“We have obligatory military service. I did mine, my son did his. We have women who do it voluntarily. We have over 60 F-18s. We just bought 64 F-35s, the two first of which arrived. We have long-range missiles, air, land and sea. We have the capability to mobilize 280,000 troops within days in a conflictual situation. On top of that, we have land mines. And we have the biggest artillery in Europe together with Poland… On top of that, we have civilian shelters for over 4.4 million people out of 5.6.”

“We don’t have them because we’re worried about Sweden,” Stubb joked of Finland’s military capabilities. “We have them because we see a security threat coming from Russia.”

He said that level of preparedness, combined with Finland’s NATO membership, makes a direct Russian attack unlikely. Finland became NATO’s 31st member on April 4, 2023, after abandoning its longstanding military non-alignment following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“We feel that we’re very prepared, and that gives us a strong enough … deterrent that we don’t believe that Russia is going to test a country like Finland,” Stubb said. “And of course the icing on the cake is that we are now security providers in the Alliance NATO.”

Stubb also used his Sept. 22 address to the U.N. General Assembly to advocate for continued support for Kyiv, calling the “Coalition of the Willing” supporting Ukraine “particularly close to my heart.” He said the coalition was working toward a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the U.N. Charter.”

Stubb made additional news on Ukraine during UNGA week, when he urged SpaceX owner Elon Musk to extend Starlink coverage so Ukrainian forces could use the satellite network in areas containing Russian ballistic missile launchers, including inside Russia. He argued that doing so could help Ukraine target launchers firing missiles at Ukrainian cities.

Yet Ukraine was only one piece of what Stubb described as an increasingly interconnected global security crisis.

Asked about Trump’s call at the U.N. for countries to support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Stubb was unequivocal.

“I agree, Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons,” he told News Media, adding that Tehran should not use proxies or be able to produce missiles.

Stubb also argued that the conflicts involving Russia and Iran can no longer be viewed in isolation, alleging that Moscow is providing intelligence to Tehran that Iran has used against U.S. military bases in the Gulf, while Iranian weapons have been supplied to Russia for use against Ukraine.

“We’re going in this merry-go-round where every bit of the conflict is linked to another,” Stubb said. “The sooner we can end both, the better.”

Trump used his Sept. 22 U.N. General Assembly address to call for Iran’s economic isolation and reiterate that Tehran should not obtain a nuclear weapon, while warning of further US military action if a peace agreement is not reached, according to Reuters. 

For Stubb, the proliferation of conflicts — from Ukraine and Iran to Gaza, Yemen and Sudan — is testing a diplomatic system already struggling to keep pace.

“It’s not a zero-sum game,” he said. “We have to deal with a multiplicity of conflicts right now, unfortunately.”

And for Trump, he added, that means “working around the clock.”

CHICAGO (WLS) — President Donald Trump is expected to visit Medinah Country Club Sunday as the Presidents Cup enters its final day, with separate groups of supporters and protesters preparing to gather outside the course.

Trump is expected to arrive at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport before heading to the tournament, where he is scheduled to arrive around 10:30 a.m. A pro-Trump rally is set to begin at 9 a.m. near Medinah Road and Lake Street. Organizers are asking attendees to bring flags and signs.

Local Democrats are planning a separate demonstration at 10:15 a.m. According to a flyer promoting the event, participants intend to protest the Iran war and the rising cost of living.

The planned rallies coincide with the arrival of fans for the Presidents Cup finale. Tournament gates open at 8 a.m., and officials anticipate more than 150,000 visitors throughout the event.

The U.S. and International teams are scheduled to face off in their final matches Sunday. Singles play is scheduled to begin shortly after 11 a.m., with competitors going head-to-head.

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The Secret Service is advising fans to expect additional screening during the president’s visit to Medinah. The agency has been working with local and state law enforcement agencies to prepare for Trump’s appearance at the open-air venue.

The White House schedule indicates that Trump’s appearance will be a brief stop. It also shows the president returning to Washington after the visit, with no other events planned in the Chicago area.

Trump is serving as the honorary chairman of this year’s Presidents Cup.

With the presidential visit scheduled during tournament play, spectators should expect demonstrations and heightened security as crowds gather for the final day of the Presidents Cup.

A Whelford resident helped trigger a major security operation at RAF Fairford after alerting police to several men she believed were behaving suspiciously.

Police said a number of men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after potentially viable incendiary devices and chemicals were discovered inside a van parked near the Gloucestershire airbase on Sunday.

Three white vans were linked to the operation. Footage showed the suspects handcuffed and shirtless during their arrests, a precaution that may have reflected concerns they could be wearing explosive devices.

Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for three decades, said a local resident first raised the alarm after noticing three vans she considered suspicious in the village.

“Apparently, she called the airbase police, but nobody answered,” he said. “The phone simply rang, so she dialled 999.”

Mr Tudsbery said police arrived at his home and ordered him to leave at approximately 7am.

“They were knocking on the door, so I came downstairs in my dressing gown,” he recalled.

“There were several officers and three police cars in the drive. They told me to evacuate because there had been a major incident, but said they could not provide further details.”

Mr Tudsbery said he had been forced to leave his cat, Misty, inside the house he shares with his wife.

The operation came as helicopter footage captured a bomb disposal robot examining three white vans parked close to the airbase.

The robot travelled along a deserted country lane before reaching the vehicles. Two vans had their rear doors open, with large black objects visible inside.

Gloucestershire Police had earlier confirmed that the Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal unit would inspect several vehicles in Whelford.

However, the force did not specify which vehicles were under examination and has not publicly confirmed that a bomb disposal robot was being used.

Counter-terrorism officers are believed to be directing the investigation as authorities examine whether a possible attack was prevented.

Jason, 50, left his Whelford home with his family, their 11-week-old puppy and two cats, heading for a nearby leisure centre.

He said around 40 or 50 people had been evacuated from their homes, with about 20 people remaining at the centre as of 12.30pm. 

Jason said the village ‘always feels pretty safe’ but that there had been ‘heightened tensions’ due to the base being used by the US Air Force. 

‘I think some of the other residents have noticed more police patrols and things like that,’ he said. ‘But I’ve not I’ve not really noticed any particular difference.’

He said there were messages on a village chat about vans blocking one of the lanes and that he heard a helicopter overhead about 1.30am today. 

‘Then I went to bed,’ he said. ‘Then we were woken up about 6am with a couple of police at the door.’

A Government spokesman said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being ‘kept updated’ from Liverpool, where the Labour Party conference will be held today.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said of the incident: ‘We can be reassured that this is being dealt with.’

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the incident was ‘contained’ on X.

She wrote: ‘I would like to thank emergency services for their swift response to the major incident in Gloucestershire this morning and their reassurance that they believe the incident is contained.

‘Whilst investigations are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.’

RAF Fairford is the US Air Force’s command outpost for operations from Europe and has been used for American strikes on Iranian missile sites that have been attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The base was the subject of a warning from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in July, with the regime warning Britain not to allow US bombers to fly from the base.

In June, the US government said it would spend around $500million (£377million) on ‘expansion and military infrastructure’ at RAF Fairford, understood to include a new hangar complex.

A month earlier the Royal International Air Tattoo, set to be held at the base in July, was cancelled after the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises (RAFCTE) said the ‘escalating geopolitical situation in the Middle East’ had required a ‘significant increase in real-world operational missions’ from RAF Fairford.

RAFCTE said both the Royal and US air forces needed to ‘maintain unrestricted, 24/7 operational readiness at the base’.

Shortly after the US and Israel began the war with Iran on February 28, roads surrounding RAF Fairford were closed in a bid to ‘address safety and access issues’.

Protective screens were mounted on the base’s perimeter fences in March to stop filming after it became popular with plane spotters when US bombers began arriving.

That month US military personnel at the base were pictured preparing explosives at the base as Washington intensified strikes on Iran.

Two earthquakes jolted California early Sunday, with shaking reported across the South Bay and in communities farther east.

The first, measuring magnitude 3.5, struck shortly after 7:20 a.m. A magnitude-2.6 tremor followed roughly 20 minutes later. According to the United States Geological Survey, residents felt the activity from San Jose to Walnut Creek.

The back-to-back earthquakes come during a period of increased seismic activity in California, following several clusters of smaller tremors in Southern California in recent weeks.

The USGS recorded more than 60 earthquakes across the region on one recent Saturday. Most were minor events below magnitude 2.0.

Several of those earthquakes were concentrated around the Los Angeles area.

A magnitude-3.1 earthquake struck near Compton on Sept. 17, sending shaking into Long Beach, Downey and Paramount. It followed another magnitude-3.2 quake near Compton earlier in the month.

Additional recent activity was reported farther south and offshore, including two earthquakes southeast of Catalina Island that occurred just minutes apart.

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During the same weekend, a separate magnitude-3.4 earthquake rattled parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Although the latest tremors were relatively weak, they come as scientists continue to highlight the long-term risk of a powerful earthquake along one of California’s major fault systems.

Caltech seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones has said the San Andreas Fault could generate a catastrophic earthquake, while stressing that researchers cannot determine precisely when such an event will happen.

Jones has previously modeled a magnitude-7.8 rupture on the southern San Andreas Fault. That scenario would bring extended, potentially devastating shaking to large portions of Southern California.

The simulations suggest a major rupture could severely damage transportation networks, water infrastructure and other essential services across the region.

Researchers at the University of Bern have also studied seismic pressure near Cajon Pass, an area where the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults intersect.

Scientists have referred to the region as a possible “earthquake gate” as they investigate whether a future rupture could move across both fault systems.