Hurricane Hilary has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it approaches Mexico's Pacific coast and California, but US meteorologists warn it could still cause 'life-threatening' flooding. The storm, with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h), lashed parts of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and the south-western US overnight.
One man died after being swept away while crossing a stream in Baja California, according to an official. The man was travelling in a car with his three children and a woman, all of whom survived, local media reported.
Hilary is expected to weaken further to a tropical storm before reaching southern California, which would be the first tropical storm to hit the US state in more than 80 years. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the storm's centre will move close to the west-central coast of Baja California on Sunday morning and then across southern California in the afternoon.
Rainfall could reach 10 inches (25 cm) in some areas of southern California and southern Nevada, with 'dangerous to catastrophic flooding' expected. Nearly 26 million people in the south-western US were under flood watch, and the National Weather Service issued a warning for 'high potential' of flash flooding in San Diego.
US President Joe Biden said the Federal Emergency Management Agency had pre-positioned personnel and supplies in the region. Mexico placed 18,000 soldiers on standby for rescue efforts. Major League Baseball rescheduled three games in southern California, SpaceX delayed a rocket launch, and national parks were closed to prevent visitors being stranded by flooding.
Hurricanes and tropical storms are common in Mexico, but the last tropical storm to make landfall in southern California was in 1939. Experts say human-caused climate change is influencing abnormal weather events, including the deadliest wildfire in modern US history that struck Hawaii in August 2023.
