✕ Close Pacific storms dump rain, hail and snow across the West
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Life-threatening flooding is forecast for the coming days in California as a massive atmospheric river hits overnight on Saturday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that heavy rain is expected across San Francisco Bay and the Central coast into Sunday and then move south later in the day and into Monday.
NWS warned that major flash, urban, and small stream flooding, including debris flows and mudslides are likely. The agency added that river flooding is also likely. NWS Los Angeles is forecasting up to 15 inches of rain from Saturday through Wednesday.
This weekend’s storm is set to intensify as it approaches the coast, a process called “bombogenesis” in which a spinning low-pressure system rapidly deepens, according to the Associated Press. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services activated its operations centre and positioned personnel and equipment in areas most at risk from the weather.
AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin said: “Roughly 94 per cent of California’s population, up to 37 million people, is at risk for flooding, some of which can be life-threatening. Due to the numerous mountains and hills, even just a few inches of rain can cause significant flooding.”
Source: www.independent.co.uk
