A day after weather forecasters warned that California may face 'brutal' weather conditions, a bomb cyclone smashed into the western US state on Wednesday. The cyclone brought with it torrential rains that could drown the region, already battered with consecutive storms on New Year's Eve, that caused power outages and roadways to flood.

A day after weather forecasters warned that California may face 'brutal' weather conditions, a bomb cyclone smashed into the western US state on Wednesday. The cyclone brought with it torrential rains that could drown the region, already battered with consecutive storms on New Year's Eve, that caused power outages and roadways to flood. The powerful winds blew around 70 kilometres an hour and could very well continue into Thursday morning. State authorities have requested the residents to avoid any kind of non-essential travel on Wednesday night and Thursday morning as the storm reaches its peak. The residents, however, remain fearful of the storm. "We had a similar flood just last October... they call it a 100-year storm, but sounds like we might have two of those in one week," Deepak Srivastava, a San Francisco citizen was quoted as saying by AFP. Read more: Bomb cyclone brings sub-zero chills in US: 12 killed, 4,400 flights cancelled day ahead of Christmas Accessing the gravity of the situation, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to pool resources for 'response and recovery efforts'. An emergency operations centre has also been established in the city of San Francisco to oversee the entire operation. The residents are being offered thousands of sandbags in case there is flooding. "We've been working very hard to source sandbags from wherever we can in northern California," said a Public Works department official. What is a bomb cyclone? A bomb cyclone occurs when atmospheric pressure plummets to low levels. A cyclone is categorised as a bomb cyclone when the pressure drop is 24 millibars (a unit of pressure) within 24 hours. WATCH | WION Climate Tracker: Climate change will make 'bomb cyclones' more frequent × Frigid temperatures and destructive winds have accompanied the winter storms in the US, much before the holiday season began. Americans are experiencing huge power outages amid the blizzard circumstances. The bone-chilling weather forced thousands to cancel holiday get-togethers as airlines could not operate the planes during the inclement weather. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Bomb cyclone smashes into California; state of emergency declared by the governor

How cold is the polar vortex? See for yourself

The US Midwest dug out Monday from a snowstorm that closed schools and businesses, as millions braced for dangerous sub-zero temperatures that could shatter records.&nbsp;

School districts in Minnesota and Wisconsin cancelled classes and government offices, universities and businesses shuttered, with the mercury expected to drop to a polar -40 Fahrenheit (-40 Celsius).&nbsp;

"Dangerously cold and potentially record-breaking temperatures and wind chills are expected by Tuesday and Wednesday," National Weather Service (NWS) said.&nbsp;

"The arctic air, together with brisk winds, can lead to dangerously cold wind chill values." &nbsp;

In Wisconsin, where nearly a foot (30 centimetres) of snow was measured in one location, Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency, freeing up the Wisconsin National Guard for emergency work, if needed.

In North and South Dakota, peak wind gusts were measured at 60-70 miles (96-113 kilometres) per hour. &nbsp;

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled at two airports in Chicago, a major regional hub and America's third largest city, in nearby Illinois.&nbsp;

On the heels of the storm, nearly a dozen states braced for a blast of arctic air known as a polar vortex, which was expected to lower temperatures well below normal and far below zero.&nbsp;

The frigid air mass had veered from its usual path and was forecast to fall into the Midwest beginning Tuesday. The chill was expected to bring temperatures to extreme lows by Wednesday and last through Thursday.

Temperatures were expected to plummet to between -10 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit in a vast area stretching some 1,200 miles from the Dakotas to parts of Ohio.&nbsp;

Wind chill would make temperatures feel more like -30 to -65 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NWS.

On Tuesday, the snowstorm was expected to move to the northeast, where it could dump another 8 to 12 inches of snow in some areas.&nbsp;

In Wisconsin's biggest city, Milwaukee, downtown streets were virtually deserted Monday and every major highway in the state covered in ice or snow, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.&nbsp;

In Minnesota, numerous cities declared snow emergencies, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.&nbsp;

The US Midwest dug out Monday from a snowstorm that closed schools and businesses, as millions braced for dangerous sub-zero temperatures that could shatter records.

The US Midwest dug out Monday from a snowstorm that closed schools and businesses, as millions braced for dangerous sub-zero temperatures that could shatter records. School districts in Minnesota and Wisconsin cancelled classes and government offices, universities and businesses shuttered, with the mercury expected to drop to a polar -40 Fahrenheit (-40 Celsius). "Dangerously cold and potentially record-breaking temperatures and wind chills are expected by Tuesday and Wednesday," National Weather Service (NWS) said. "The arctic air, together with brisk winds, can lead to dangerously cold wind chill values." In Wisconsin, where nearly a foot (30 centimetres) of snow was measured in one location, Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency, freeing up the Wisconsin National Guard for emergency work, if needed. In North and South Dakota, peak wind gusts were measured at 60-70 miles (96-113 kilometres) per hour. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled at two airports in Chicago, a major regional hub and America's third largest city, in nearby Illinois. On the heels of the storm, nearly a dozen states braced for a blast of arctic air known as a polar vortex, which was expected to lower temperatures well below normal and far below zero. The frigid air mass had veered from its usual path and was forecast to fall into the Midwest beginning Tuesday. The chill was expected to bring temperatures to extreme lows by Wednesday and last through Thursday. Temperatures were expected to plummet to between -10 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit in a vast area stretching some 1,200 miles from the Dakotas to parts of Ohio. Wind chill would make temperatures feel more like -30 to -65 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NWS. On Tuesday, the snowstorm was expected to move to the northeast, where it could dump another 8 to 12 inches of snow in some areas. In Wisconsin's biggest city, Milwaukee, downtown streets were virtually deserted Monday and every major highway in the state covered in ice or snow, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In Minnesota, numerous cities declared snow emergencies, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

Snow wallops US Midwest as it braces for extreme cold

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Bomb cyclone smashes into California; state of emergency declared by the governor

How cold is the polar vortex? See for yourself

Snow wallops US Midwest as it braces for extreme cold