California, Mexico To Face Hurricane Hilary

A hurricane packing 130mph (215km/h) winds is churning towards Mexico and the southwestern US.

Reports say the Category 4 storm, named Hilary, is predicted to first make landfall in Baja California, a Mexican state, on Saturday.

Forecasters say it will then lose speed and become a tropical storm, moving towards southern California, where flash flood warnings are in place.

According to reports, it would be the first tropical storm to hit California in more than 80 years.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has “pre-positioned personnel and supplies in the region, and they’re ready to respond as needed,” President Joe Biden said Friday.

“I urge everyone in the path of the storm to take precautions and listen to the guidance from state and local officials.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the potential for heavy rain, ranging from 3-6in (7-15cm) in some areas, and up to 10in in others, could lead to “significant and rare” impacts for parts of southern California and southern Nevada.

In San Diego, the NWS has issued a warning for the “high potential” of flash flooding.

Nearly 26 million people in the southwestern US were under flood watch.

BBC