A tropical storm has made landfall in California for the first time in 84 years. Tropical Storm Hilary, with maximum sustained wind gusts of 130mph (210km/h) and a central air pressure of 943mb, moved toward the Baja California peninsula this weekend as a category 4 hurricane, before making landfall as a tropical storm in southern California late on Sunday. The last time a tropical cyclone made landfall in southern California was in 1939, when it inundated Los Angeles and claimed nearly 100 lives.
Hilary prompted the first-ever tropical storm warning in California, extending from the Mexican border to just north of Los Angeles, with rainfall totals estimated to have reached 70-150mm (3-6in) across southern California. This quantity of precipitation is anticipated to cause life-threatening flooding and would be equivalent to more than a year’s worth of precipitation in portions of California and Nevada.
Joe Biden announced last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had positioned personnel and supplies to respond throughout the region, and the Mexican army deployed nearly 14,000 soldiers to Mexicali and the states of Baja California Sur, Jalisco, and Colima.
Beginning this week in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho, Hilary will diminish into a depression as it moves north-northwestward, although it will continue to bring torrential rain to these areas. Central and south-western Idaho receive an average of 15 millimeters of precipitation in August, but could receive between 30 and 50 millimeters in the coming days.
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Heatwave Intensifies: Millions Brace for Sweltering Conditions in the US
As temperatures continue to surge 5 to 10 degrees Celsius above the average for this time of year, a heat advisory has been issued for large portions of the US Midwest, Central Plains, and Southern Plains for the upcoming week. More than 65 million people were issued heat alerts on Friday of last week, with many warnings extending into this week’s Friday and Saturday. This week will likely see widespread temperatures above 38C (100F), with highs ranging from the low to middle 40s (104-112F).
This week, more heat will move into Europe from northern Africa. Spain and Portugal will be most affected, with temperatures reaching the low 40s Celsius in south-west Spain and southern Portugal. Additionally, portions of Italy and southern France can anticipate temperatures of approximately 40 degrees Celsius. However, this heat should subside this weekend as low pressure delivers milder westerly breezes.
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Source: The Guardian
