Hurricane Hilary strengthens to category 4 storm, US hurricane centre issues 'catastrophic flood' warning
Hurricane Hilary
Hurricane Hilary, a category four storm, is hurtling towards Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Friday, announced the United States's National Hurricane Center (NHC) as it issued its first ever tropical storm watch for California.
The US government agency also warned of a possibility of life-threatening and possibly catastrophic floods.
Storm advisory
"Life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding are likely over much of Baja California and Southern California this weekend and early next week," said the Miami-based agency in its latest advisory.
The NHC as per a Reuters report said that it expects the powerful storm to near Mexico's popular Cabo San Lucas resort city by late Friday. The US government agency said that the hurricane should weaken before hitting the US West Coast this weekend. However, they warned that nevertheless, it will bring dangerous rains.
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"If you've got weekend plans, it's probably time to start altering those plans," said NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome, as per the report. Rhome warned that the area from San Diego to Los Angeles and Las Vegas faced flood risks, in particular Palm Springs area will be at high risk when the storm hits this weekend.
Category 4 storm
As per the NHC advisory, hurricane Hilary was moving West northwest at nearly 12 mph or 19 kilometres per hour. The storm is packing a maximum sustained wind of nearly 130 mph or 215 kilometres per hour. It was upgraded to a category 4 storm overnight.
Rhome said that while icy waters of the California coastline typically weaken hurricanes and tropical storms, "this system is expected to hold on to its strength because it will be moving fast."
He also said that California and Southern Nevada face the risk of severe flooding caused by up to 10 inches or 25.4 centimetres of rainfall. The NHC, as per Reuters, warned a storm surge could cause coastal flooding and destructive waves along Mexico's Baja California peninsula.
After a record-breaking summer heat wave, hurricane Hilary's heavy rainfall is expected to hit California Nevada and neighbouring Arizona. In July, Phoenix, Arizona, both endured a month-long stretch of temperatures that exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit or 43 degrees Celsius.
As per the National Weather Service, the region was trapped under a "heat dome" of stagnant air. In mid-July, California's Death Valley desert hit temperatures exceeding 128 Fahrenheit or 53 degrees Celsius. This was among the highest temperatures recorded on the planet in the past 90 years.
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