Dangerous storm approaching, Californians "hold their breath"

As of 7:00 a.m. (Vietnam time) on August 21, Hurricane Hilary was about 40 km south-southwest of Palm Springs, California, USA. Warnings and evacuation orders have been issued in several counties of this state, such as Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernadino, Imperial...

Bão nguy hiểm áp sát, người dân California nín thở - Ảnh 1.

People move in San Diego City, California - USA before Hurricane Hilary approaches. Photo: Reuters

Earlier, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Hurricane Hilary had made landfall in northern Mexico's Baja California peninsula, with maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h. The agency warned that severe flooding could occur in Baja California and some areas of the southwest US until August 21 (local time).

Authorities said there was at least one death in northwestern Mexico, where Hilary passed through heavy rain and strong winds.

Bão nguy hiểm áp sát, người dân California nín thở - Ảnh 2.

In anticipation of Hurricane Hilary, residents fill sandbags at Wildwood Park, San Bernardino, California - USA. Photo: AP

At its peak, Hurricane Hilary was a Category 4 on the five-point Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale but weakened to a tropical storm as it moved north.

The Mexican cities of Ensenada and Tijuana are in the path of the tropical storm, according to the AP news agency. Meteorologists warn that despite the weakening, the storm remains dangerous.

Hilary is expected to bring up to 25cm of rain to parts of Mexico, California and Nevada. Meanwhile, tornadoes are possible in southeastern California, western Arizona, southern Nevada and southwestern Utah (all in the US).

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for much of the southern part of the state.

Hurricane Hilary could be one of the worst storms to hit California in more than a decade, said Nancy Ward, director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Management.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, told CNN last week that years' worth of rain is likely to fall in dry areas of California.

Scientists have recently warned that hurricanes are becoming stronger as the world warms due to climate change.

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