One person has died and another is missing as a tropical storm brings “life-threatening” floods and record rainfall to Mexico and California.
Storm Hilary was previously classed as a Category 4 hurricane but weakened as it made landfall on the Mexican coast, from where it moved north to California and other states in the southeastern US.
At least nine million people in southern California are under flood warnings as they face “life-threatening” rain, mudslides, tornadoes, high winds and power outages.
Parts of California have been placed under a state of emergency by governor Gavin Newsom.
One person died in the storm in the Mexican state of Baja California, after the car they were in was swept away in an overflowing stream.
In the US, two people were rescued from the Santa Clara river in Ventura County, north of Los Angeles, while another remains unaccounted for, police say.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has urged people to stay indoors and off the roads in and around Los Angeles, warning of “hazardous” conditions as rain water continues to run off the hills.
There are also warnings of flash flooding, with the NWS saying people should move to higher ground in affected areas, calling the weather “life-threatening”.
A number of rainfall records have been beaten in the state, with 1.53 inches recorded at the University of Southern California – up from 0.03 inches in 1906.
