The storm had sustained winds of nearly 145 mph (230 km/h) as of 6 a.m. Friday and its rapid strengthening is expected to continue through Friday before it begins to weaken, the National Center for United States Hurricanes (NHC). But when it approaches Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Saturday night it will remain a hurricane, and on Sunday it will approach southern California as a tropical storm.
No tropical storm has made landfall in southern California since September 25, 1939, according to the US National Weather Service.
As of early Friday morning, Hilary’s vortex was about 400 miles (640 kilometers) south of Los Cabos, at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, moving in a west-northwest direction at about 20 km/h. (13 mph), but is expected to gradually turn north on Saturday.
The government of Mexico extended a hurricane warning and a tropical storm warning to the north for parts of the state of Baja California Sur and activated a tropical storm warning for parts of the mainland.
“Heavy rains associated with Hillary are expected to lash the southwestern United States through next Wednesday, peaking Sunday and Monday,” the NHC said, adding that there was a significant danger of flash flooding in the area between San Diego and Las Vegas.
“Rainfall of between 8 and 15 centimeters (between 3 and 6 inches), with isolated amounts of 25 cm (10 inches) in areas of southern California and southern Nevada, which would cause significant and unusual impacts. Elsewhere in the western United States, rain totals of 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) are expected.”
SpaceX delayed, at least until Monday, the launch of a rocket that would put a satellite into orbit from a base on the central coast of California. Conditions in the Pacific could make it difficult to recover the rocket booster, he said.
The excessive rain forecast for southern California spans Sunday through Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles weather bureau.
The Mexican government pointed out that the storm, already weakened, could impact on Sunday night between the cities of Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada, in the state of Baja California.
Meanwhile, the city of Yuma got ready on Thursday by making a self-service station available to the population to fill sand bags.
The station will be stocked with sand and sacks while supplies are available. Residents could take five sacks per vehicle.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
