California storm | Giant sinkhole swallows two cars

See pictures of the havoc wreaked by the storm.

Two cars could be seen inside a giant sinkhole that opened during the relentless storms ravaging California. The passengers were rescued and hospitalized with minor injuries, local reports say. Torrential downpours have led to flash flooding and closed key highways. Trees can be seen toppled over, with cars and drivers swept away.

An intense hailstorm rained down in San Francisco on Tuesday during a week that has seen torrential downpours and damaging winds in California. The storms have killed at least 17 people since the start of the year, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday.

A video shared on social media shows the flash flooding in California's Montecito community following heavy rain due to an unprecedented storm. Fire officials had ordered Montecito residents to evacuate portions of Santa Barbara and other adjacent towns. Five years back, mudslides had ravaged wildfire-scarred hillsides and canyon slopes around the affluent Southern California community, killing more than 20 people in January 2018.

Torrential rains flooded Los Angeles' Union Station on Tuesday amidst the latest Pacific storm unleashed on California. A social media video showed commuters wading through floodwaters in Union Station. 

Torrential rain and damaging winds slammed California on Tuesday, a day after heightened flood and mudslide risks prompted thousands of evacuations. The severe weather also led to widespread power outages.

The high winds wreaked havoc on the power grid, knocking out electricity to 180,000 homes and businesses.